Linus & Ygritte

Linus & Ygritte are an adventurous pair who love to compete to see who can climb the highest.

What is Linus & Ygritte's favourite thing to do? 

Their favorite thing to do is climb trees while we are out on walks.

It’s almost as if they are in competition with each other to see who can climb the highest. They’ll race each other to a tree and zoom up like little squirrels.

We constantly have to watch them to make sure they don’t go too far up.

What is their favourite toy?

Their favorite toy is Da Bird cat toy.

They come running the moment I get it out and go crazy for it. They turn into little hunters the second they see it and Linus will growl when he catches it.

It’s amazing how high they can jump to catch it.

Tell us about your most memorable adventure with Linus & Ygritte.

 Our most memorable adventure was just recently at Hurricane Ridge in Washington state.

We hiked to the top of the mountain and had beautiful views all around us. The cats were loving the new hike.

It was there that my fiancé and I got engaged.

It was a perfect moment and we had our little fur babies there to share it with.

Why did you decide to train Linus & Ygritte to be catexplorers?

We decided to train our cats to be adventure kitties because, hey, why should dogs have all the fun?!

I think it’s great stimulation for them to get outside (under our supervision) and I want them to have exciting, full lives!

I think I’d feel guilty if I just kept them tucked up in the house all day.

There’s a world out there that belongs to them too and they deserve to see it!

How did you train Linus & Ygritte?

When we first got Linus we started training him by getting him used to wearing a harness. Once he had that down, I added the leash and my fiancé and I took him to a quiet, local park to practice. He progressed well from there and we started doing bigger things.

With Ygritte it was different. She is a natural. She took to the harness immediately and started walking with a leash like it was no big deal and she’d done it loads of times! We were so impressed!

What has been the most rewarding about having catexplorers?

The most rewarding part of having adventure kitties is the bond we have created with them.

I think it’s really special to get to share our adventures with our kitties and I truly believe that they love being with us outdoors and experiencing the world with the safety and comfort we give them.

What advice would you give other humans training their catexplorers?

One thing I’ve noticed when talking to other cat owners is that a lot of people have tried to walk their cats, but gave up quickly because their cat didn’t like the harness.

My advice is to not give up so fast!

It can take a few weeks for cats to get used to a harness, especially if they aren’t kittens anymore. So be patient with them and give them a bit of time everyday with one on! Try to distract them while they’re wearing it by getting them to play with you. They’ll forget they have it on and get used to it in no time. Positive reinforcement with treats always helps too.

 Follow Linus & Ygritte on Instagram: @linus.the.lionheart