Needed to set up our new 2-person tent yesterday before my son's backpacking trip. Decided to set it up in the house to avoid the possible showers outside. We had just finished installing the poles when WHAM! One of our cats leaped onto the screen door and hung there. My son shrieked, and grabbed the cat, but she had her claws stuck in the screen and wasn't letting go. So he held her weight while I carefully extracted each claw. Fortunately no permanent damage to the screens. But the cat will be staying home...

I know it could have been a disaster for your tent, and upcoming trip, but still.... this story made me laugh as I pictured a cat clinging to the side of a tent! Glad your son was quick enough to grab and hold the cat up.

straighthairedcurly: "Needed to set up our new 2-person tent yesterday before my son's backpacking trip. Decided to set it up in the house to avoid the possible showers outside. We had just finished installing the poles when WHAM! One of our cats leaped onto the screen door and hung there. My son shrieked, and grabbed the cat, but she had her claws stuck in the screen and wasn't letting go. So he held her weight while I carefully extracted each claw. Fortunately no permanent damage to the screens. But the cat will be staying home..."

I had a similar experience when trying to dry out my tent so I tried hanging it from the ceiling...which wasn't high enough and my cat ended up pulling the upside down tent down on top of her. Thankfully I have a house now and space in the garage to air my gear out...cats and camping just don't seem to have each other figured out yet. I'd love to hear if anyone has had success though!!

Tried working on my tarp one day in the living room. Didn’t get very far...

Oof I miss having a cat but I forget how crazy and destructive they can be

I though my dog could be a pest when I'm trying to put away gear, but cats - wow. I wonder if anyone has brought one on a BW canoe trip in one of those little carriers - surely someone must have tried??

There was a couple carrying in parrots on Little Indian Sioux, August, 1990. Should groceries be in boxes.

I briefly adopted a stray kitten, that I named Scruff. He loved to hide and pounce on me (I found out I am very allergic to cat scratches...And, anything cat). I had never had a cat (only dogs). He never rested...and was always hiding and pouncing on my feet. He would also get in the bathtub and run circles and slide around the corners. Craziest cat.

I found a couple to adopt him that had just lost their cat of 20 some years. When they came to get him, they had an expensive pillow and blanket in his carrier and told me they were naming him King Solomon. Guess he got an upgrade!

I cannot imagine a pet cat camping, but someone must have tried, yes.

Ours are relentless when we have tents set up in backyard. They love to mark their territory on every side of the tent. Or crawl under them (to see if the grass is still there??) Or climb in them if we have left a zipper open. Or claw at the screen mesh on the screen tent.

It becomes a full family activity to keep them inside when we have gear outside!

A quick google finds that their are lots of camping canoeing cats. There is even quite a few on You Tube. This one is epic

It never would have occurred to me to take one of our cats on a canoe trip. But I will say that we stopped at Castle Rock in Wisconsin last summer so that Anna could climb the big rock. (Nothing Anna loves better than climbing on big rocks.) And there was a couple there walking around in the park at the base of the rock with a big black cat on a leash. It seemed to be enjoying the experience.

Jaywalker: "I though my dog could be a pest when I'm trying to put away gear, but cats - wow. I wonder if anyone has brought one on a BW canoe trip in one of those little carriers - surely someone must have tried??"

Several years ago, I met a couple on a portage in the BWCA who had a cat on a leash.

Just remember...If your cat was big enough, It would eat you. <;-(

I’m with portage99... cats are the one thing that I’m definitely allergic to.
I’m sure there’s that one cat that might be ok... I’m not holding my breath. Haha!

Canoearoo: "A quick google finds that their are lots of camping canoeing cats. There is even quite a few on You Tube. This one is epic "

Very funny video. I would be worried about a predator taking my cats away if I got them out in the middle of the BWCA though.

Canoearoo: "A quick google finds that their are lots of camping canoeing cats. There is even quite a few on You Tube. This one is epic "

I watched the video and just winced when the owner reached under the cat's mouth for the buckle on the cat PFD. When we took our cat to the vet to have his claws trimmed they had to wrap him in a towel and it still took two vet technicians to control him. If anyone ever tried to put a PFD on Otis something very bad would have happened.

jcavenagh: "Just remember...If your cat was big enough, It would eat you. <;-("

And, then lick his lip with satisfaction, while sitting on your favorite chair. ha ha.

Canoearoo: "A quick google finds that there are lots of camping canoeing cats. There is even quite a few on You Tube. This one is epic "

I love it!

One time a buddy and I were fishing a little hole on the Kettle River near Rutledge, MN. There was a half-grown cat on shore walking around and meowing at us repeatedly. It became clear the cat wanted us to come and get it, so we did. It jumped right in and rode around peacefully. Played with the minnows, looked around, and even walked around on the gunwales. Funny as heck.

This is ironic. I had a starving kitty run up to me last night on my porch. I fed her because she was so tiny and looked so skinny. She ate 3 bowls of food. So, now she is curled up on my deck chair this morning. uh oh....

Portage99: "This is ironic. I had a starving kitty run up to me last night on my porch. I fed her because she was so tiny and looked so skinny. She ate 3 bowls of food. So, now she is curled up on my deck chair this morning. uh oh...."

Now you did it! You’ll be feeding that cat now for the next twenty years. Will it stay on the porch is the question.

jcavenagh: "Just remember...If your cat was big enough, It would eat you. <;-("

Lololololololol

We set up a new tent in the living room and our kitten climbed up the side of it. We could never get the leaking to stop on that side of the tent.
We did take our cat camping a few times, kept it on a lease during the day.
It would poop and wouldn't give up trying to cover it up, after about 15 minutes of laughing at her we felt bad, so we put a cup over it and she was ok with that.

nctry: "

Portage99: "This is ironic. I had a starving kitty run up to me last night on my porch. I fed her because she was so tiny and looked so skinny. She ate 3 bowls of food. So, now she is curled up on my deck chair this morning. uh oh...."

Now you did it! You’ll be feeding that cat now for the next twenty years. Will it stay on the porch is the question."

Staying. Now has a name and had tuna for breakfast. But how can I say no to this face!!

Saying no is clearly impossible and saying yes will bring lots of joy.

Portage99: "

nctry: "

Portage99: "This is ironic. I had a starving kitty run up to me last night on my porch. I fed her because she was so tiny and looked so skinny. She ate 3 bowls of food. So, now she is curled up on my deck chair this morning. uh oh...."

Now you did it! You’ll be feeding that cat now for the next twenty years. Will it stay on the porch is the question."

Staying. Now has a name and had tuna for breakfast. But how can I say no to this face!! "

We’re all a bunch of softies here! Post more when he’s ten pounds heavier next week. Haha! Tuna? You have that little extra softie gene there 99.

oh my goodness what a cute kitten

What a cute kitten! Thanks for taking it in.
Speaking of adventure kitties, there's an Irish fellow bicycling around Europe at the moment who rescued a kitten he found on the side of the road. They're traveling together...1bike1world on instagram if you want to follow along.

mcspin50: "What a cute kitten! Thanks for taking it in.
Speaking of adventure kitties, there's an Irish fellow bicycling around Europe at the moment who rescued a kitten he found on the side of the road. They're traveling together...1bike1world on instagram if you want to follow along."

I have been watching him. It's so neat

I must differ from everyone on here.
I take a cat with me on every trip.
If we don't catch any fish on a given day we have Chinese food. :)

That is a cute kitten. You had no choice but to give in.

As for a tuna, we had one cat that taught us the difference between chunk light and chunk white tuna. She would only eat the chunk white (in water, not oil). We didn't even know light and white were different.

Yes, we're softies. Got a cat lying next to me right now. She's not really into tuna and prefers goat cheese.

Bushman: "I must differ from everyone on here.
I take a cat with me on every trip.
If we don't catch any fish on a given day we have Chinese food. :)"

I'm looking forward to seeing a photo of this, Mr. Bushpilot!

I find the concept of a cat in a life jacket very odd. I should think that most cat's would just as soon drown and get it over with rather than float about in a life jacket until whenever. I base this theory on an attempt I made years ago to give a roommates tomcat a bath. It went very, very badly.

Jaywalker: "I find the concept of a cat in a life jacket very odd. I should think that most cat's would just as soon drown and get it over with rather than float about in a life jacket until whenever. I base this theory on an attempt I made years ago to give a roommates tomcat a bath. It went very, very badly. "

Just don't rescue any cats that you see floating in a PFD. They will blame and punish the first person they encounter. Our cat didn't even let anyone pick him up until he was about 15 and even then it was risky.

Kind of a funny update I thought I’d share.

I was in BWCA this week. Dart disappeared Wednesday night and kids thought the worse. No sign of her. Saturday morning the neighbor asked my husband if we were missing a kitten. Dart had been living the life on the neighbors screened in porch.

This kitty real is special. Everyone falls instantly in love with her. I went to get her this morning and the lady’s granddaughters asked if she could stay this afternoon to play. They visit every weekend and are the ones who took Dart in and named her Skippy. But they cannot keep her and grandma doesn’t want a cat.

The granddaughters are Stranger Things fans and liked the name Dart. I told them they can come get Dart for play dates when they’re in town. So, Dart has 2 homes. I’m converting the screened in porch to her home, making vet appointment and looking into allergy shots. I don’t even really particularly like cats, but this is a special, very loving, endearing cat.
Sealed the deal when the neighbor said she thought she had a home for the cat if we couldn’t keep her and I felt a moment of panic at losing her. I said, “No, she’s ours.” Haha

I got a cat.

Portage99: "Kind of a funny update I thought I’d share.


I was in BWCA this week. Dart disappeared Wednesday night and kids thought the worse. No sign of her. Saturday morning the neighbor asked my husband if we were missing a kitten. Dart had been living the life on the neighbors screened in porch.


This kitty real is special. Everyone falls instantly in love with her. I went to get her this morning and the lady’s granddaughters asked if she could stay this afternoon to play. They visit every weekend and are the ones who took Dart in and named her Skippy. But they cannot keep her and grandma doesn’t want a cat.


The granddaughters are Stranger Things fans and liked the name Dart. I told them they can come get Dart for play dates when they’re in town. So, Dart has 2 homes. I’m converting the screened in porch to her home, making vet appointment and looking into allergy shots. I don’t even really particularly like cats, but this is a special, very loving, endearing cat.
Sealed the deal when the neighbor said she thought she had a home for the cat if we couldn’t keep her and I felt a moment of panic at losing her. I said, “No, she’s ours.” Haha


I got a cat. "

You have my sympathies. :)

You sound like a friend of mine. He adopted a stray that was hanging out to be an outdoor cat because he just wasn't really a cat person. Mr. Love Bug now has the run of the place including laps indoors and out. MLB also does tricks and has decimated the vole population in his yard. So all is good.

Thanks for the replies. Sharing photos of Dart is like having a new baby. You know people don't want to see them, but you can't help yourself. : ) I pinky-swear this is my last post on Dart! I will refrain from this moment forward. Had to share photos of her new collar/tag. And, yes she has already moved from outdoor to becoming an indoor/outdoor cat.