MEET REED

Hi everyone, this is Reed and the human Taegan here! Reed is a one year old tabby and tortie mix with lots of cattitude and a passion for adventure. We live in London, Ontario while I study my undergrad with some housemates who play with her when I’m not there. 

Reed came into my life the summer of 2019 when I was working at a summer camp. That summer I had been torn about whether to take my cat from home who I had since I was 10 or to adopt a new cat because I thought she was too bonded with the other kitties living there. When Reed came into my life the decision was made! It was the last week of summer camp when I got asked to go to the directors cabin, thinking I was in trouble, I headed over there but when I opened the door there were two kittens (Reed’s siblings now named Bruce and Lilo I believe). The kittens had come from a greenhouse near the camp that had a sign up for free kittens. 

The next morning I headed out to the bus route so that on the way back I could pick up my own from the litter. They had one girl left out of the litter so I knew she was the one and I brought her back to camp with me. She was only about 5 weeks the vet estimated. Since she was so young when I got her I knew right away I was going to train her to be an adventure cat because I enjoy travelling and spending so much time outdoors. 

The weekend that camp ended Reed and I went straight to the pet store with my mom who was almost more obsessed with Reed than I was and who spoiled her with all kinds of treats and toys. And then we headed out to Byng Island for a weekend of camping with the family which was our first official adventure. 

Reed was so small during the camping trip that she just stayed in the RV for the majority of it, especially since she was too small to fit into even the tiny harness we could find, but even then she still managed to get into trouble. The scariest moment was when she somehow crawled into the walls of the RV through a hole and refused to come out. After almost breaking down into tears I finally found her inside a vent with her nose pressed right up against it so I was able to unscrew it and pull her out and proceeded to block any little holes I could find. 

The two of us have lots of fun together and try to hike every week. She has really motivated me to find all the little green spaces and new hiking trails that I otherwise wouldn’t have found before. Even just in my hometown back in Niagara I never took advantage of how close the Bruce Trail was until I had Reed. However, she is not the perfect adventure cat that I do like to portray her on Instagram! 

One important thing to remember for those starting to train their cats for adventure is to be patient! People often forget that walking a cat is going to look a lot different than walking a dog, and sometimes it is going to be more like the cat is walking you, at their own pace. Reed

loves to stop and eat plants or sniff and dig in dirt, and will get very distracted by noises and little movements. Some days are also better than others, some days getting Reed to walk on the trail and not just sit in the middle of it can be so frustrating but it takes patience and I always remind myself that at the end of the hike I want Reed to have a positive experience, otherwise what’s the point. Hiking and walking your cat is a great lesson in taking in the small things and stopping for a breath of fresh air and it should be about enriching your cat’s life outside of the house. This is also why bringing along a backpack is a great tool as well. It is a place of comfort and familiarity for your cat to enjoy the fresh air from those days where walking isn’t really their thing. 

We are still learning so many things about cat exploring to make the experience better each time, and we are hoping to get some bigger and longer adventures in for the future. Our biggest adventure yet has been camping this past summer because aside from when she was only 5 weeks old, this was our first time camping again, and her first time tent camping. She handled it like a champ so hopefully we can look forward to some longer adventures and possibly some international ones once we are clear to travel again. 

For now we are continuing to just explore Ontario and see all the cool things that I’ve never really stopped to appreciate before. Overall, cat exploring has taught me so much and has been a big part of Reed’s life and we can’t wait to get out for our next adventure! 

You can keep up with our adventures on Reed’s instagram: @realreedadventures