The life of a domestic cat in this house is rough. My cat, Lola, can attest to this! First there is eating, then there is napping, then there is whisker cleaning, which is followed by the time-honored art of the stalking of the sun spots. Somewhere in between all this, one must find time for litter boxing and monitoring the bathtub. (Just to sit in it for 10 seconds to verify it’s still there. Because you can never know when a pesky bathtub is going to pick up and take off on you, can you?) Then she has to climb onto the bed to make sure I made it, but if it’s too flat, it’s no good and must be unmade so it’s ready for remaking.
You can see how loaded and tiresome a cat’s schedule can be.
To combat this inertia and help cats live the best life possible, Purina Pro Plan has proclaimed June 15 National “Take Your Cat on an Adventure” Day! This can mean conquering new territory, arranging play dates, or bringing in new toys or settings for kitties to explore.
When Purina Pro Plan asked me to take my cat on an adventure, I thought the answer was obvious: a walk outside in the yard. Purina Pro Plan did a “cat walk” in NYC on May 23, so I thought we’d do a little one at home. It’s been a crazy long winter and although Lola is an indoor cat, she loves the occasional stroll in the garden. So, of course, I waited until late morning on a sunny day when there would be a minimal chance of a dog walking by (this is for the dog’s protection, not Lola’s). I scooped her up in a blanket and walked out to the yard, gently sitting down in the grass so she could acclimate to her surroundings. Considerate cat mother points, right?
WRONG. As soon as she hit the ground and ran away, pawing furiously at the door to go back inside. Can’t we just have a nice stroll through the garden?
So, of course, I let her in. An hour later, I picked her up to go back out and again, she gave me the business.
So much for outdoor adventure!
Outdoor activities are not for every cat, but there are many ways you can bring adventure inside as well. I followed her lead and decided to keep things safe and indoors. After much consideration I asked myself, “What is Lola’s favorite thing to do inside?” I looked at her and she looked at me and then she stuck her head in the glass on my lap.
BINGO: Lola’s greatest excitement comes from drinking water from glasses and bowls that don’t belong to her.
So this is what I did…
I filled ten bowls and glasses with water and hid them in random spots around the house: in the closet, by the dishwasher, on an end table…
It doesn’t look like much, but for Lola, this is Disneyland. Random water sources wherever she goes is the most exciting thing to happen around here in ages. Oh, Lola. Let the adventure begin!
So let’s talk about this! How would you provide an adventure for your cat?
Feeling adventurous? Visit www.mygreatcatadventure.com to learn more and share your experiences with #MyGreatCat and @ProPlanCat.
National “Take Your Cat on an Adventure” Day is June 15th. How will you be celebrating?
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This post was sponsored by Purina; all opinions expressed within are mine. Or my cat’s. Mostly hers. Either way, thank you for supporting the brands that make this site possible. Thank you!
I just wanted to let you know that your blog never fails to give me a smile. Also you inspired me to decorate my fridge, you can take a peek here:http://www.ingridlavoie.com/fridge-art/
What a great idea – one of my cats is also a great fan of finding water sources. And both of my cats like finding their food in new places. Adventures must be planned…
Oh Miss Lola, I love you so. A gorgeous girl like you can’t get too much sun on your fair ginger coat. Stay indoors and keep hydrating darling, from all of your curious vessels. Have a divine adventure!
Lola would love Louis. I was living in a house in Maryland that had a hole in the floor of one of the closets, thru which swarms of mice came in to avoid the cold winter air. My giant American Bulldog? Useless as a mouser.
Enter Louis, a cat from a friend. She is a cat rescue! People near and far drop off their cats and she finds them homes. Louis and his sister Martha came to live with us and mouse. Louis soon drove Martha off — she went back home to my friend’s house—- and Zlouis became king of the roost. Well, assistant king. He recognizes Gussie’s ability to squash him like a bug. Gussie being aforementioned bulldog.
Moved to the suburbs of Boston. And life has become more well defined.
Now while Louis does enjoy random cups and glasses of water scattered about, and policing the bathtub, he most enjoys going outside and being a killing machine. In the last two months he has brought home a baby ferret, two mice, a bird (still alive and chirping and when he let go of it in my bedroom, frantically flying about!!!!), a baby bunny and just yesterday, a chipmunk. The mice were dead. Good boy Louis!!! The baby bunny too. (Uh…. Good boy i guess. Don’t want to crush his hopeful desire to please by being ungrateful). But the bird and chipmunk left to go tell the tales. The birds of the neighborhood now follow him about, ghoulishly, as though ready to poke his eyes out given the first opportunity.
So you see? Lola being civilized? It is a GOOOOOOD thing!
Our monarch, Sofija, does not think looking for unique water vessels as an adventure. However, if the front door or the door to the gang way (Chicago-speak) is slightly ajar, she truly wants an adventure in the front yard. The front yard is open and not fenced like the back yard. Sofija has escaped twice and our neighbors very kindly returned her back to us.