With the rise of car infrastructure and the growing dangers faced by cats left alone wandering in the streets, more and more cat pawrents have turned to cat-walking.
So far we had the chance to interview, for example, Lovely from Vitebsk (Belarus), Purrceph from Utah (USA), Squeeker and Krink from Kamloops (Canada), and Jinx from Denmark.
Not to mention also Dutch cats, like, Floortje from Hilversum, Pewie and Patches from Noordwijk, and Gimli van Håpercatz from Haarlem.
In our today’s article, we get to tell you another successful cat-walking story, the one of Mr. Milo and Ms. Lola from Breda, The Netherlands.
Cat Brother and Sister
Milo and Lola were born in Prinsenbeek in the province of North Brabant, but have lived in the city of Breda since they were 12 weeks old. Despite not sharing the same biological mother, the two cats are brother and sister as they have been living together all their lives.
Like most siblings they bicker sometimes, but in the end, they always make up. Usually, Milo is the rascal who teases Lola just a little too long.
However, Milo is also a trickster with his humans too. He loves to bump his head into his pawrents, and he often takes them by surprise. Something which betrays his stealthy cover is his voice, as Milo meows like a little baby.
Lola, on the other hand, is an angel in the house. This kitty loves to cuddle especially if she did not see anyone in a while. Unlike her brother, Lola’s meow is silent, but she always gets what she wants.
The two cat siblings also differ in terms of looks. While Milo’s fur is black and white, Lola’s fur is completely black.
Training the Cats for the Outdoors
Despite these obvious differences between the siblings, both cats seem rather tense at first. Hence, cat pawrents Joleine and Thomas started training Milo and Lola for cat walking only after the pair got more used to them as human caregivers.
In the beginning, Milo and Lola were both shy, although Milo was a little less adventurous than his sister. Fortunately, Milo liked to follow Lola everywhere, so managed to overcome his fears with her help.
Since Thomas and Joleine lived in an apartment, they did want to allow their cats to get some freedom of movement. Furthermore, they wanted to get their kittens more used to the outdoors as they planned to move into a house in the future. Thus, Joleine and Thomas thought that it would be sensible to start walking their cats outside.
Getting your cat used to walking is no easy task. Nevertheless, with patience it can be done in no time. Joleine and Thomas recommend you to:
take your time teaching and training, don't expect a cat to walk along like a dog! For instance, Milo and Lola have better walking days than other days. It varies from day to day; start with quiet places;
take a backpack with you (as a safe place);
make sure you have a suitable harness;
lastly, do not pull on the leash when your cat is not walking with you.
Transporting Cats Safely and Comfortably by Car
Thomas and Joleine trained their cats to sit quietly in the car too. With care and love, cats can travel safely by car! Joleine and Thomas’ cats never get car sick, in fact, the two cat siblings feel so comfortable that they can actually sleep!
Thomas and Joleine recommend using special cat belts in the car that can be attached to the harness of the cat in question. This ensures that the cats are protected in case of a car crash.
Furthermore, if Thomas and Joleine are going on a long trip, they always take a small litter box with them. By having a litterbox in the car they assure the comfort of Milo and Lola.
Milo is so used to the litterbox in the car that, if there is no litterbox around, he will meow. When that happens the pawrents simply park their car for Milo to pee.
By contrast, Lola holds it when there is no litterbox present. Either way the pawrents are happy that they have such mannered cats.
If the cats need to sleep they can do so either in the backpack or, if they drive for long, the pawrents leave the backseat of the car unfolded. When that happens Milo likes to lie stretched out sleeping in the bag and Lola on top of it. On rare occasions both of them sleep in the bag.
Cat Meetup
Mr. Milo and Ms. Lola were also at the cat meetup we described earlier in the cat story of Floortje from Hilversum. The meeting with the other cats went very well. This was surprising for Thomas and Joleine as a previous meetup could be named not so successful. Thomas and Joleine's cats had met Akira of Catventure before. According to the pawrents, in the eyes of Milo and Lola, Akira was a little too curious...😂
A follow-up meeting with many Dutch cats, later on, was very nice as it offered Milo and Lola a second chance to socialise. Fortunately, Milo and Lola reacted very well as they were calm in the presence of the other cats.
Going Abroad with Two Cats
Milo and Lola went for the first time abroad two years ago. It was a summer trip, and sunbathing in the Austrian Alps was truly welcomed.
However, the trip of their lives happened the following winter when they returned to Austria. They were both charmed by the snowy mountains, yet they also like two years camping in the French Ardennes 😊
As far as Thomas and Joleine experienced, there are no differences between countries when it comes to hiking with cats. Furthermore, people’s reactions to hiking with cats suffer little changes too across the globe. People are often surprised, yet delighted to see two cats walking alongside their pawrents.
Yet Joleine and Thomas soon realised that more and more people are hiking with their cats nowadays. Once when Joleine and Thomas met up with some fellow campers in France, they noticed that they also had their cat with them! It was quite a suprise, but a welcomed one.
Paris Paris - "De Kat van Ome Willem is op Reis Geweest"
Milo and Lola did not know the song by famously deceased Dutch writer Annie M.G. Schmidt but it describes well Milo and Lola’s experiences with travelling. The song tells us that: “Ome Willem’s kat” (Uncle William's cat) has been on a journey. /And where did he go, he went to Paris for seven months, so now he only reads French newspapers,/ says bonjour and voulez-vous :-) (check the song here). You see, recently Milo and Lola have also gone to Paris.
Paris is the biggest city Milo and Lola have been to so far. They say that Paris was fun, but for the cats to walk by themselves, nature is still the best.
Follow the Travellers
Mr. Milo and Ms. Lola have a wonderful life travelling around the world and we at Global Cat PR Agency CatSwoppr wish them to visit as many countries as possible. So far, the two cats’ appetite for adventure remains insatiable.
For instance, the two cat siblings have just returned from a wonderful trip to Scotland. If you want to follow their journey. check out their Instagram account here.
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