Wilderness & Survival Companions

[stewey1]

this thread has really come back to life, awesome to see. Im amazed that some of you take cats on the trail, how do you train them to stay with you? I just recently got my cat of 12 years put down (he was old when I got him and I just couldnt bear to see him suffer any longer) I tried a couple of times to get him to follow me and to train him and he wouldnt have a bar of it, To be honest I hated that cat when he was alive he was a vicious annoying mean little animal, but now hes gone I miss him. He would attack my legs if I didnt feed him on time, leap out of the shadows and attack my feet when I least expected it(usually when I got up to go to the bathroom at night), I still wear thick slippers inside to protect my feet out of habbit even though he is gone.

Is there certain breeds of cats that are better suited to the outdoors? or do you have any tips on training them? Ive just decided Im gona get another cat(hopefully a nice trainable one)

 

[dogboye]

He would have turned 10 in November this year, which would make him not "quite" old- even for a large breed.

His end came rather suddenly....

Thanks MacHete. I wish you well. I would say also a speedy recovery, but IME/IMO, the pain only goes away as the memory softens. And I don't like the memory softening, even though it is easier to take. I'm a dog person to the core, and it hurts me to even read of someone else losing theirs. But I do appreciate you letting me know, because each instance is a chance to learn more of what to avoid. :thumbup:

 

[datsgor]

Here is my wilderness companion...

I inherited him when I got my new girlfriend... I've never had a big, capable outdoors dog before, but this guy goes with me on as many hikes as I can take him on. I've never taken him on an overnight yet, but I'd love to if I can convince his momma to let me.


JGON

Look at that purple tongue..that's badass. gotta be some Chow in there. Sleeping....my dog just gets in the tent/camper/bed with me. great early warning and I can feel her move if she becomes alerted.

 

[silenthunterstudios]

My three labradors, Beau, Remington and Doc, go with me on my father's property. However, I can't take them on the road without the leash in one hand, and a walking stick in the other. Too many people in my area let their dogs run free. Beau, the old man of the group, is great on the road, the trail, and in my fathers woods.

 

[Turbo Tension]

Great trail dog. Only alerts to people and occasionally eats raccoon poop.

 

[Dirty Greaser]

He would have turned 10 in November this year, which would make him not "quite" old- even for a large breed.

His end came rather suddenly, so I take some comfort in knowing he didn't suffer long. He had a torn nail on one of his paws, so the Vet gave him an antibiotic for it- one he had taken before for a similar injury a couple of years ago. He had been on the Rx for a couple of days when he suddenly lost any interest in walking with me. He had always LIVED for a walk, so we immediately took him back to the Vet. His vitals all checked out fine, so it was surmised that he was reacting badly to the meds. We took him off the meds, but his condition worsened and he lost interest in most food and even water. Finally, I saw him get up to try to go somewhere (I hoped to get himself a drink) and he collapsed. This was in the middle of the night, so I woke KatClaws up and we headed to an after-hours Emergency Clinic with him. The Vet there offered us no hope, and suggested that Code had cancer, rather than a bad reaction to the Rx. After consulting with our regular Vet again, the best guess is that he had a tumor on his spleen that may have leaked or ruptured.

Sorry about your Rott, too. I know the only way to get "over" it is to go "through" it. I just need to re-learn how to walk without him.

HD- Man, I love your cats! I wish ours were that "dog-like" in their behavior.

I'm sorry to hear that. I love my dogs and rather than just pets they are a part of my family. They will always love us no matter what mood we are in. I had a Boston terrier that lived to be 16 yrs. shes was quite old but lived a great life. It took me a few years to finally move on but not forget. Now we share a household with 3 dogs. A 6 yr Chihuahua, 2yr Husky, and a 2yr GS. I know that heart breaking day will come again but all I can do is enjoy the times we have now. When the time comes you'll find that companion again.