Cats on the Appalachian Trail

[BRamsey]

OMG Jim ... I have no words.

[saltysack]

Great Horned owls weight around 3 lbs and are capable of flying carrying about 1/4th of their body weight. Musta been a very small cat.

Yep...we've had females lil over 5 lbs but definitely a small cat to fly off with...


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[Busky2]

IMGP1530.jpgThis trail kitty fears no bird of prey regardless of size but, she does not make a good hiking partner. This trail cat is near Brownville Gap in Maryland.

[Francis Sawyer]

I understand that swallows can carry a large amount of weight considering their size.

[Spit Walker]

I hiked Georgia to Maine in 1990 with my cat Ziggy. He was about 7 months old and still small when I started at Springer and he walked the first 35 miles of the trail. He was slow. I put him on top of my pack and he never hiked another step! LOL. I carried 1 pound of dry cat food with me and he supplimented that with TONS of mice in the shelters. Every time I got into a town he was given a can of moist cat food but he only liked seafood flavors. You did have to watch large areas of bright sun because he could over heat but it never became a problem. He was 14 pounds when I got to Abol Bridge. The rangers had heard about him coming up the trail with me and "stamped" the Smokeys permits with the word pets over the word dog so he did all of the trail except the Smokeys and Baxter. He was definitely into the outdoors as I got him in Manchester, Ohio on the Ohio River while paddling from Confluence, Pa to New Orleans. Once at New Orleans we got onto the A.T., did Georgia to Maine and then he rode on the back of my mt. bike from Maine to Confluence, Pa. The entire trip was 5091 miles long and he did about 4900 miles of the trip. He had been in 25 states by the time he was a year old. He also thought he was a dog and would come when called and sit on command. He was an incredible animal!
geek

Hey Geek you told me this story just north of springer on the first day of my thru. This was actually the first interaction I had on my thru hike! Ha what a hoot!

[Honuben]

I understand that swallows can carry a large amount of weight considering their size.

I think it depends on what type of swallow.

[mattman578]

Hm walking beacon when and were are you hiking ?

[ChefATLTCT]

I understand that swallows can carry a large amount of weight considering their size.

Would that be a European or African swallow?

[Dogwood]

I have two(cats). Never brought either hiking. Two reasons the weight and they just do not listen like a dog. Be afraid of him going off and not being able to find him.

I find there's no end to hikers tagging dogs along that display the opposite - plenty of dogs that run off, often harassing wildlife, aggressively approach other hikers, bark, snarl, get their muzzles into other hiker's food, play the alpha male animal attempting to ceaslessly hump another dog even if it's another male, defecate/urinate in places where they shouldn't like gear/next to a shelter/campsite/etc, jump up on hikers sometimes with muddy wet paws, spread fleas, sniff each others arses and feces sometimes eating another animals excrement and then want to lick a hiker, etc that don't obey the commands of their owners even IF the dog owner takes notices and moves to timely address these situations.

Jim, I'm always amused by your telling about Ziggy.

[yerbyray]

...often harassing wildlife, aggressively approach other hikers, bark, snarl, get their muzzles into other hiker's food, play the alpha male animal attempting to ceaslessly hump another even if it's another male, defecate/urinate in places where they shouldn't like gear/next to a shelter/campsite/etc...

Sounds like some hikers I have hiked with who had two legs.

[Hot Flash]

Hmmm, why not a Ferret?

Ferrets are considered pests and illegal in many states, because if they escape and breed, they can seriously upset a wild habitat. They're also noxious, stinky little buggers who like to bite and chew and steal things. Please, no ferrets on the trail.

[Dogwood]

Yerbyray, isn't that the truth. I'm still thinking about your shrinkage comment. LOL.

[lemon b]

I agree Dogwood. My dogs have only gone with me on short non AT trips. Long Distance I have enough problems managing my own affairs let alone having a pet in tow. But its the owner not the animal. Unless it is a truely unique Dog or Cat IMHO. Leave em home.

[yerbyray]

Yep...we've had females lil over 5 lbs but definitely a small cat to fly off with...


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iklJIuZ.jpg
I guess the owl didn't read the WB forum on cats being too heavy.

Poor cat.

[Old Hiker]

I think it depends on what type of swallow.

Would that be a European or African swallow?

You mean like this: ? http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...329DCADA560EB9

Speaking of cats taking a hike, every cat I ever had, had to be taken for a "drag", not a "walk".

[RangerZ]

You mean like this: ? http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...329DCADA560EB9

Speaking of cats taking a hike, every cat I ever had, had to be taken for a "drag", not a "walk".

I passed a guy on a local trail with his dog on a leash and his cat following. Cat gave me a wide berth when I passed.

[lemon b]

Geek, Sure would love it if someone wrote a book about Ziggy. And certainly not just the trail part.

[peakbagger]

Maine Coon Cats tend to act like dogs and will follow folks around. They are also very large and generally don't take any guff from dogs.

[Traveler]

iklJIuZ.jpg
I guess the owl didn't read the WB forum on cats being too heavy.

Poor cat.

"Umm, kids? Mittens won't be home for dinner tonight......"

[lemon b]

Peakbagger, Maine Coon cats also have a long growth period. Most Cats are pretty much full grown at one year. A Maine Coon Cat can take up to Four years to reach maturity. I'll have to check with my sister who used to have one before she became a totally dog person, but one has to wonder how much they consume in the food department. Right now I have two pound cats a 3 year old full grown who weights in at 8 and a half pounds and a 10 month old (teenager)@ 12 lbs. Both are pound cats & the teenager eats at least twice as much as the older one. Both came to me viva "The Cat Pound" My sisters Maine Coon also came to her that way and she didn't know what she was dealing with until her Vet told her what she actually had.