We’ve seen dogs on the route, of course. Have you ever seen a cat, though?
This is the story of Tuxie, a hiking-loving cat!
Tuxie is “L.A.’s” hiking partner on Instagram. It’s a trail-riding tandem from Georgia to South Carolina. They are from Atlanta.
After reading a comment on GearJunkie’s Facebook page claiming “cats hike too!” they decided to look into the hiking cat. This cat can paw up to eight kilometers per day and has done around 80 walks with L.A.
GearJunkie grilled L.A. on Tuxie, the exceptional hiking cat.
Here’s Tuxie’s owner telling about him and their hiking experience;
“After hip surgery, I couldn’t backpack. I’d read of a woman who got lost trekking with her cat for two or three weeks, so I decided I’d bring him along.
I put Tuxie on a harness/leash in case he got away. I used to carry him in a daypack with his head sticking out. And he kept walking on the trail when I set him down. Because of snakes, skunks, and more people on the trails, we only hike from late October through March. We’ve probably hiked over 80 times.”
Most hikes are five miles, but he did eight.
We stay on the trail, but I supervise him in rock overhangs and waterways. That and I carry the goodies and brush. We love a mid-hike fluff!
He normally sits on top of the gear when he sees me packing it up. Sadly, our season is coming to an end. The cat in him is quite chill.
He usually obeys when I say “let’s go this way” instead of where I want him to go. So I try not to yell commands at him. As we climb, he gets many of the “good boys”. We have disagreements, he is quite at home, but on the route, he expresses himself and talks a lot.
I’m quick to grab him when dogs are out. Tuxie disliked bear and coyote scat. He was intrigued by deer (from afar). Tuxie started making noises I’d never heard before, then pooped in the middle of it. What a hoot!
I tripped and dropped the leash, so he ran off. I spent two hours hunting for him, and we found his leash/harness nearby. Tuxie never leaves the trail, and we discovered him under a little rock overhang. That’s why I keep him in a brightly colored shirt/jacket (with my contact data) to help him stay visible. Thankfully, that didn’t happen again.
He pre-warms the sleeping bag well. My backpacking tent has no mesh at eye level, thus he likes the hammock. Swinging after a long hike exhausts him. The only drawback—he snores.
Your cat will educate you on what it will tolerate. And be patient. A lot of people want to start trekking with their cats. I always tell them that training a cat to hike takes time. The safety and enjoyment of the cat are the most crucial considerations. I’m quite concerned about his safety.
Here’s Tuxie’s first camping trip video:
