So today, I needed to go stock up on cat food. Muggles had retired to the big fish tank for a nap, and Kid was following me around. So I thought, what the heck, I'll bring her along. It's a beautiful day. I strap on her harness, load her into my large soft shoulder-book bag (open on the top) and off we go.

Initially Kid wasn't too sure of the whole deal - there was a lot of construction right outside the apartment, and she didn't seem happy at all with the loud noises and big trucks. But I persevered another 2 blocks (or rather, she did), and Kid settled in for the ride. One small black cat, sitting in a bag, little head poking out the top watching the world go by. Essentially, it was a human side-car. But for a cat. Kid seemed to quite enjoy watching all the birds and bugs, and kept looking up at me just to make sure I was still there.

Oh, yes, I got strange looks. And even approached a few times (mostly with the words "she's an indoor cat?" "yep" "and she lets you leash her?" "I guess!")! Kid and I kept going - and then found a cat. Kid has never seen another cat other than Muggles - and this seemed like a friendly small Calico. It mewed and wanted to come visit me... until it saw Kid in the bag. Kid saw the cat right away and hopped out of the bag to go visit/sniff it. The calico puffed up, and meowed (no hissing... just meowing - but arched back and all puffed out). Kid walked right up to it to sniff it (not taking the "stay back" signals I guess...) It was then I realized how non-street smart my cat is! She took none of the signals and kept trying to go over and sniff the new cat. But I kept her back, let them look at one another (calico settled down, but stayed 3 feet away). Then I loaded Kid back up in the bag, and let calico have a good sniff of where Kid sat on the grass.

Eventually Kid got quite confident and figured she wanted out of the bag to explore... so this is when the walk considerably slowed down as cat hops out for a jaunt, and then gets placed back in bag. Jaunt > bag > jaunt > bag. Then finally the pet food store. Immediately she wants out, and refuses to reenter bag. Which is fine... she is of course on a leash and harness. There are a million smells, toys, food and litter. And *lots* of people to smell and stare at. Kid is actually running around the store, and then when she sees a human, seems to immediately sit down and stare (a little uneasy of humans, but she sniffs them, just no petting allowed). But luckily for her, no d*gs.

After much visiting and sniffing, we pay for our stuff and leave (after she leaps onto the counter and sniffs a bunch of dog treats and makes the poor person in line behind us wait until I get all my stuff and cat together.) But of course, now, the bag is very undesirable and being out of the bag is quite wonderful. And now I have 40 pounds of cat food to lug back home (another 20 blocks back). And a small black (escaping) cat. Luckily Kid relents and sits back down in her side-car and watches the scenery for most of the way back. And was mostly behaved. A few big MRROWWRRs along the way when she saw things (a squirrel, and a dog), and twice she hopped back out of the bag for a jaunt.

And that was it. I thought it went pretty well for a first-ever long excursion in a shoulder bag and not a cat-carrier. She took it all quite well, and did not protest being on a leash and harness... we'll see what happens next time.

PS: Muggles is just quite thankful when he is left at home. He is an easily spooked cat, and quite frankly, HATES the outside world. And over-20-pounds of lean, mean, muscle, SPOOKED cat is not something I would want to try to "train" to ride in my "side-car".

Copyright © Jen deHaan
May 10, 2002