Atop the 1085-meter summit of Mt. Snowdon in Wales stands Orion the cat, the sharp mountain winds ruffling his fur, but not his purride. He prefers a trek in the woods, but climbing a mountain is okay too. As long as he’s with his mom, Katie Bowen, and dog brother, Pongo, Orion will go happily go anywhere.
And it’s been that way since Orion and Katie found each other when the part-Maine Coon cat was only two days old. But don’t think Katie packed up her cat and threw him on a trail. Once the cat mom and veterinary nurse realized Orion had a proclivity for adventuring on a leash, the work began to make exploring a way of life for her cat. That he was a natural at walking on a leash was Orion’s first step to tackling the tallest summit in Wales.
Adventure Cat from the Start
About two years ago, vet nurse Katie Bowen was working at a rescue center when a pair of two-day-old kittens were brought into care, with Katie telling The Metro, “We would often get kittens brought in and I ended up with Orion and his sister. They were tiny. I hand-reared them from two days old.”
Katie and Orion shared an immediate bond, and she knew they were meant to be together forever.
At nine weeks old, the gentle boy started harness training, and because he was “such a chilled-out cat,” Katie used to take him to work at the rescue with her. Being around other animals and strangers didn’t bother him in the least.
“So, I thought, ‘I take Pongo out on all these adventures, why shouldn’t Orion be part of that?'”
Like the leash training, Orion took to adventuring like a natural. In fact, he’s so good, Orion has even gone on eight-day camping adventures with Katie and Pongo. And anywhere Katie roams, “I generally take Pongo and Orion wherever I go.”
“Orion even comes away on holiday. Most of our holidays are either camping or in a van. We just hit the road and off we go,” said Katie. “He loves being in the van because he can just watch the world from his little domain.”
“He’s really nosy. When we get a pitch to camp, he likes to sit up on a picnic table and surveys the whole campsite.”
Mountains or Forests, Orion Sees It All
That kitty cat nosiness took Orion to great heights atop Mount Snowdon, a 3,559-foot peak that stands as Wales’s highest summit.
“I did have to carry him some of the way up Snowdon, but we still climbed it together. He did get to do some exploring which was brilliant.”
Katie also shared Orion isn’t the biggest fan of wind, so the Snowdon peak wasn’t his favorite adventure, his mom reporting, “For some of it he hid in my cat carrier.”
“But we did get a photo of him at the top of Snowdon, which is brilliant, and he walked some of the way and loved it.”
Though he can include “mountain climber” on his resume, Orion prefers a forest expedition to scaling mountains. As Katie explained, he enjoys exploring the woods best of all. So, if you go looking for Orion, Katie, and Pongo, chances are you’ll find them in the forest!
Tips For Making an Adventure Cat
Not all cats are suited for adventuring, but if you think your cat craves exploration, Katie recommends, “Just pick up a harness, they are really cheap, and see if your cat accepts it.”
‘For the first walk I would choose somewhere quiet and just go at your cat’s pace. Some cats just aren’t going to want to do it, especially if you’re starting with an older animal,” explained Katie. “But if your cat enjoys walking it can be an amazing experience. I really encourage feline owners to try it.”
Want to learn more about helping your kitty become an adventure cat? These Adventure Cats Have Tips On How To Make Outdoor Fun Possible For You & Your Cat!
H/T: www.themetro.co.uk
Feature Image: The Metro