That's right everyone. Baby Owen got his very own pink cat backpack. And we are both in love (I might like it a bit more than him to be honest, but he at least feels that it is way better than Fifi and Oliver's stroller). The moment I took the backpack out of the box, he jumped right in and made himself at home. And that instantly put a smile on my face - mostly because he chose the backpack over the cardboard box, which never happens in the cat world. Fiona, on the other hand, will always check out the box first.
As with strollers, there are a ton of different types of cat backpacks with prices ranging from below $50 to around $200. It's crazy! Jackson Galaxy has an amazing backpack that some day I hope to try (https://shop.jacksongalaxy.com/products/the-jackson-galaxy-convertible-cat-backpack-carrier), but I chose to start simple (and within my budget).
After much deliberation, I decided that the Armakat Pawfect Backpack (https://www.amazon.com/Armarkat-PC301P-Pawfect-Backpack-Carrier/dp/B07YS1158G) would be the best fit for Owen and I (and my wallet). It is pink (yay!), has padded straps, a side compartment for water, and a reinforced bottom with sherpa lining for extra durability and comfort for both parties involved. I do wish that it had an extra strap across the chest (10 pounds gets heavy after a while), although I've managed just fine without it. And it would be nice if it was slightly wider since Owen is a bigger cat, but he seems quite content to sit and look around.
I went extra slow with Owen's backpack training since he is a very sensitive boy. Once he was used to the backpack being in the house, he would get treats (bonito flakes!) while sitting in it and a few times I sprinkled catnip inside so he really liked hanging out in there.
On our first adventure, we walked around the perimeter of the woods behind my house. He was pretty nervous and I could feel him circling, so I repositioned him and wore the backpack in front of me (like those BabyBjorn carriers). Once he could see me, he settled right down. We repeated this very short walk several times with Owen riding up front before entering the woods.
We've had the backpack for about 6 weeks now and Owen enjoys short hikes. He continues to ride shotgun up front so it is more of a front-pack rather than backpack, but it is still fairly comfortable for me. Owen has been able to see rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, and birds on the trail and he gets SO excited when he spots one. He makes a chirping sound every single time and it is super adorable (see the note below on why some cats chirp). After about 15 or 20 minutes, Owen calls it a day and we head back to the house for some indoor fun.
We did have one scary encounter on Owen's second hike. There was a brush fire weather advisory (which I probably should have thought about before deciding to venture into the woods) for the day. We were about 1/4 mile from the house when I go to take a selfie with Baby Owen and I notice smoke in the background. What the heck? We walk up the hill a little bit more and low and behold, there is an honest to goodness full-on brush fire. It had to have been at least 30 feet by 100 feet and was traveling up the side of the hill towards us.
We stop our hike and stay a safe distance from the fire. Owen can tell that there is something wrong because we are no longer meandering carefree along the trail and Owen prefers a slow, steady pace while on his walks. I call to report the location of the fire and I'm assured that the fire department is on the way. While on the phone, the flames begin to quickly climb up a tree so I decide it's time to leave FAST. And let me tell you, I don't run. I look like a fish out of water and it isn't pretty. And add a cat riding in a backpack on your chest to the picture. But I will run a marathon to keep my cats safe, so we ran to safety (Owen had a pretty smooth ride considering thanks to the padding inside the backpack), called off the hike, and let the firefighters save the day (and the forest).
Once in the house, I let Owen out of the backpack and let him settle down. In true Owen fashion, he plopped down right in the middle of the hall for a good, long cat nap. I gave him a few belly rubs (which he actually thoroughly enjoys) and let him get some sleep. He did have a pretty action-filled hike after all.
I went back to the trail by myself afterwards to assess the damage and it was pretty impressive how quickly brush fires spread. The flames were put out and today you would never know anything happened. I sent the pictures to my volunteer firefighter brother and he was very impressed by my bravery :).
But the change in our hiking routine did spark some anxiety for Owen on his next walk, so we went back to shorter trips for a little while before increasing the duration again. If you ever encounter a training setback with your kitty, take a few steps back until they are comfortable again and then you can proceed. It is a delicate process, but definitely worth it in the end!
I found some really nice trails near my house that I think Owen would love, but they are longer and we still need some practice before we step up our game. It's a work in progress, but it's going well!
Why do cats chirp?
Cats make this odd chirping sound when they see perceived prey. This could be the wildlife that Owen sees on his hikes (and when looking out the window or on the TV screen) or Oliver's toy mice that he chases around. Fiona will occasionally chirp when she sees the chipmunk on the front steps. Owen uses a different chirping sound whenever he seems me! It's his special greeting. Hopefully one day I can get a video of it.
And not all cats chirp - Orange is obsessed with her toys and enjoys watching the birds, but I've never heard a "peep" from her. Chirping (sometimes called trilling) is just another weird thing that some cats do. I personally think it's super adorable. Check out this really nice article for more information on cat chirping: https://www.hillspet.com/cat-care/behavior-appearance/cat-chirping.
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