Posted on 08/30/2015 12:36:39 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A Renton house cat seems to think he's a dog, and his exploits on local hiking trails is earning him celebrity status online.
Move over birds and hikers; there's a new cat in town, and he walks the backcountry trails like any hiking dog would -- like he was born to hike.
"We think he might be part dog," said Anna Wilson.
His name is Paddington. His parents, Bryan and Anna Wilson, got him at the Seattle Humane Society as a kitten last summer, where they instantly detected his courageous spirit and their connection.
"Kittens can be cute and cuddly and just stay there, but not him, he really wanted to explore the world," said Bryan Wilson.
This indoor cat seemed to yearn for the outdoors.
He went from the backyard to the local park to Cougar Mountain last summer and has been hiking regularly ever since.
"I thought it was like the coolest thing in the world, really," said Bryan.
He's done dozens of hikes, and averages about a mile of hiking. His longest hike was two and a half miles. When he gets hungry, he eats, said Bryan, who has a backpack for "Paddington's stuff."
And when this furry friend-to-the-trail gets tired, he rides his daddy's shoulders.
His proud parents have been documenting his adventures on Paddington's own Instagram and Facebook pages, which include videos of him swimming, boating and playing with dogs.
"He kind of has a local celebrity status," said Anna.
He's a bit of diva too, always ready to pose. His first pose was minutes into the Cougar Mountain Trail, when he raced up to the top of a seven-foot boulder and looked like King of the Mountain, holding court for about five minutes.
"He's so proud up high," said his mom.
Then he took off up the trail and struck a pose on a fallen mossy log for a nice long stretch. Later he climbed up onto a fallen tree and walked the trunk-plank onto the high end of the trunk, which was suspended 10 feet up above the trail. There he played a quick game of peek-a-boo with Bryan, who hid behind another nearby tree.
For Paddington, every day is "Caturday." Hikers can't believe his hiking prowess and can't keep away.
"Boy, sure is friendly. Wow, he's ready to go," laughs Ron, a fellow hiker that Paddington encountered on the Cougar Mountain.
Dan said he has a cat just like Paddington, but his Tuxedo cat is a "porch cat" and would be freaked out to ride in the car, let alone hike the back country.
Paddington knows what he wants and it's obvious that he gets it. The Wilsons think they picked him, but something tells us Paddy picked the Wilsons.
"He's the perfect cat for us, we're so lucky, that we picked him," said Anna.
I’m afraid to ask what that cat is planning to do with the sharpened stick when it gets to where it is going.
LOL! It’s the culture.
nice verse -— really fits him
Our cat, Brutus, is a fanatic about stalking around outside. We have 16 acres & she lives on it all. (She named herself Brutus. I tried “Lambchop” & “Zippy”; but she hated those names. The kids across the hill used to just hoot & holler when I called “Lambchop”. I thought sure they had to be familiar with Shari Lewis & Lambchop.) Brutus comes in well after dark; but lately she has been wanting outside by 3:30 AM to go hunting. I call her “Brutus Butt”
lol
My two cats used to walk with me too. THe youngest I would take to a small park on an empty stomach. She loved it! I would follow her as she played on the trees & the lawn. I took treats with me ,too. The older one- he loved to walk outside with me as he at the time was an outdoor cat- he also knew I was his protector. They’re both indoor cats now in their “retirement”.
My two cats used to walk with me too. THe youngest I would take to a small park on an empty stomach. She loved it! I would follow her as she played on the trees & the lawn. I took treats with me ,too. The older one- he loved to walk outside with me as he at the time was an outdoor cat- he also knew I was his protector. They’re both indoor cats now in their “retirement”. The older cat always led the way & I never had any problem losing him. He liked that I was “following” him.
Click pic for full size image.
“Referring to the cats owners as “mom” and “dad” is a bit creepy.”
Considering that Seattle has the highest per capita pet rate ownership in the country at one per person, pets are the de facto child substitutes.
I remember back around 1979 my mother was friends with a couple who owned two dogs. When we visited them one time I was shocked when I heard they had chosen to NOT have children, but instead decided to have dogs as their children. I just don’t remember their reason for their decision.
LOL!!
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