Cider: Your Cat Backpack Featured Feline

We're excited to feature the stories, tips, and love from our very own catstomers. Shop our cat backpacks here.

Want to be featured? Email yourcatbackpack@gmail.com.

 

Human name

Alima

 

Cat names

Cider

 

Location

Colorado Springs, CO USA

 

Where can we find you or your furbaby on Instagram?

@exploringbecider

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 𝕔𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕣 🐾 (@exploringbecider) on Feb 15, 2019 at 11:45am PST

Tell us how you met your fur babies!

My husband and I were finally at the point in our lives where we could get a pet, and decided on a kitty. My husband grew up with cats (he’s part cat, I swear), but I had been a life-long dog person and knew nothing about cats. I immediately read 5 books about felines (seriously). I started going to the local Humane Society every day, looking at and playing with sweet kitties. I fell in love with every single one of them of course, but trusted my husband with the final decision because he knew cats so much better than I did. One day, he called me from the shelter telling me “I’ve found our cat!” I went right over and met Cider, and we took her home that day!

 

What style is #yourcatbackpack?

"The Fat Cat" cat backpack 

 

What was your biggest reason for getting your cat backpack?

We like to go on outdoor adventures here in Colorado, and wanted to be able to bring Cider with us!

 

What’s your biggest tip for getting your cat used to your cat backpack?

Our kitty is pretty curious and adventurous on her own, so we left the bag out for while so that she got used to it. She started climbing in on her own!

View this post on Instagram

viewing the world from inside her little spaceship 🚀

A post shared by 𝕔𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕣 🐾 (@exploringbecider) on Dec 31, 2018 at 9:17am PST

 

What’s your cats preferred method of travel in your cat backpack? Bubble? Screen? Top open?

Cider definitely likes the bubble most, I think she can see best with that. We haven't tried top open yet!

 

Tips for hiking, biking, and general outdoor adventures with your cat?

Clicker training!!!!! We've found that it helps create a strong communicative bond with our cat, and can help cats feel less anxious as first-time explorers. Also, start small! We started Cider out on daily trips in our backyard, moving up to exploring farther and farther.

  

Tell us about your favorite odd but endearing behavior you see from your cat(s)!

Cider loves to wake us up every morning by licking our faces!

 

 

Many of our catstomers want to leash train their cats. Tell us about your experience with that. What worked best? If you gave up, that’s ok, too. What was your deciding factor?

We started leash training Cider when we first got her, at 4 months. I do think that starting as young as possible is very helpful. We used clicker training to get her used to the harness. At first, we left the harness out so she got used to it, then put it on her indoors for small portions of time, then lengthened that time indoors. We attached the leash and just sort of walked around the house, getting her used to it. When we finally took her outside, she was totally comfortable with the harness. Now every time I take her leash/harness out, she goes and stands by the door waiting for me to put it on her!

 

What do you wish people without cats knew about the joys of owning a cat?

Cats are affectionate, loving, and adventurous! Since I grew up around dogs and never had any cats, my perception of cats was that they were aloof and lazy, and didn't really care about humans. Man was I wrong! Every cat is different, but Cider is the cuddliest little bug, and she loves going outside on her walks.

  

Any cat guardian hacks you want to share?

Clicker training, seriously. Maybe this is because I grew up as a huge dog lover, but I just kind of started applying things I knew about dogs to our cat. Clicker training is GREAT for correcting behaviors, teaching skills, etc.

 

What's your favorite part of #yourcatbackpack?

Being able to explore the beautiful state we live in with our cat. It also motivates us to try out new places we wouldn't have gone to. Plus, trips to the vet are a lot less stressful than when we used a carrier... she has so many positive connotations with the backpack (adventure! exploring!) that she doesn't mind getting in it for a car ride.  

 

We love our catstomers! Shop our cat backpacks here and email us at yourcatbackpack@gmail.com to get featured.