Prepare your cat to walk outside with these items!

Are you ready to take your cat's playtime to the next level with outside adventures? (We will take the fact we can't actually hear you say "yes" as a yes) AMAZING! I'm totally here for it! Before you do though, there are a few items you might want to invest in before you get on your way, and we're bad secret keepers Blue fam, so here they are:

Item 1: A Cat Backpack

Get a cat backpack. Just do it. Don't hesitate, open a new tab right now, go to eBay and make it happen. Here's why. A cat backpack is a great way to ensure the safety of your kitty when you are going on adventures. It gives you the ability to take your cat to a spot that is free of any potential dangers, such as an off-lead dog for example, that might terrify your cat leaving poor kitty to associate outside as a big fat hiss. 

Although I am a cat slave to our CEO, Romeo, even he knows that there are some rules he does have to follow. Romeo knows that if he wants to go outside, the only way that is going to happen is if he gets into his backpack (if you watch the video below, you will see just how willing Romeo is to get in his bag and go outside at the 2 minute mark). Not only will the backpack likely stop your cat from trying to door dart, but it makes going to the vet a total breeze. Every morning when Romeo gets in his backpack he plays Russian Roulette (pardon the pun (Romeo is a Russian Blue)) Vet Edition. He never sees his backpack as being associated with the vet and often times will voluntarily see himself back into the backpack once the vet is done examining him.

Okay, so if you made it this far without actually opening a new tab and going to eBay, we will save you the trouble. This is the one we purchased and I particularly like it because the sides are a solid plastic which has stopped it from caving in over time (see the video below at 2:37 for further explanation). This is also the largest backpack we could find that didn't cost over $200AUD.

Item 2: A Cat Harness

Before you venture into the great outdoors, your kitty is going to need a harness. At this point it would be foolish of me to assume that you already know we are the experts in designing and hand crafting harnesses specifically for our feline friends. We modelled our harnesses off of the CEO himself and to date, not one of our customers has told us their kitty has been able wriggle themselves free of a Blue harness.

But how do you get your kitty used to the harness? The best way is simply to put it on mittens in the comfort of his home and let him get used to the feel of it. There's a good chance he might flop to the floor like a sack of shitake mushrooms but we promise this is normal. Give mittens a treat, tell him he's a good boy, and try again tomorrow. Don't sweat it if you don't quite get over the flop stage, once your kitty is outside, he or she should completely forget the harness is on since there is far bigger fish to fry and birds to hunt.

We have another blog which will tell you all you need to know about our sizing or you can contact us if you have any questions unanswered. 

Item 3: A Retractable Lead

When we first took Mr. Blue (Romeo) outside, we had a standard dog lead we were using but quickly realised it simply would not do. Your cat will not walk like a dog, your kitty will channel Christopher Catlumbus and sniff and explore all that mother nature has to offer. Sometimes this will mean your kitty might try to run, dart or pull and a shorter dog style lead will leave you struggling to keep up. A standard lead might be more appropriate for kittens initially, but once your cat is used to being outside, you will likely want to upgrade. 

The best part about a retractable lead is you have more control over how close or far you allow your cat to get from you. If you see there is danger afoot, you can shorten the lead and pick your cat up and/or put him in your backpack. Similarly, if it is safe to do so, you can allow your cat to venture a little more from your grasp nurturing your cat's inner big cat instincts. The lead we purchased is $8 from KMART and allows up to 3m retractability. 

Item 4: A Pet Seatbelt

Although not totally important for right this second, a pet seatbelt is a great investment to keep in your cat backpack at all times. We will create another blog soon which talks about how to car train your cat, but in the mean time, having the seatbelt handy is a great way to never forget where you left it last. 

A pet seatbelt is also great if you are walking your cat and need to immediately take your cat to the vet. I tend to align vet visits immediately after Romeo has had his morning walk. That way he doesn't miss out and we're already out and about anyway so it saves a little time in the day.

You can get a pet seatbelt from your local pet store, or online.

In summary, your new 'To Buy' list includes; a cat backpack, a Blue Boutique harness, a retractable lead and a pet seatbelt. And that's it for me today folks, if you have any questions left unanswered, contact us and ask away!

For more information and a few funny bloopers - watch the video below to see our review of all the products in this article.