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Pet Tips 'n' Tales©

Strolling for Smiles!

Mary Ellen "Angel Scribe" and Nymbus

It began as an experiment and ended with paw-sitive results! Walking by yourself can be boring, so what do you do when you don't have a dog or human walking partner for company? International author and columnist, Mary Ellen "Angel Scribe", solved this problem, while also showing her cats Cottage Grove's birds and squirrels from their pet stroller.

TALES

Mary Ellen "Angel Scribe" and Nymbus

"I've never seen that before!" people exclaim. "Are you really walking a cat?" Then in their next breath they relax, smile, and admit, "Your cat looks like he loves it!" And they are right!

Yes, some think they are looking at a "crazy cat lady", but there is method to this madness! I don't have a dog to walk and my cats absolutely love their stroller rides. Just like walking a dog, walking with a cat introduces you to new neighbors and ensuing pet conversations. Pets open up your world to the kind hearts of others.

Walking a pet, and especially those in strollers, causes both adults and children to smile. Their reactions make the cost of the stroller worth every penny. And for the "crazy" comments...they are short sighted --this is a matter of brilliance! As an international or internationally-known author of two best selling books a pet newspaper and magazine columnist stories featured in 16 books and another due out this November in a"Chicken Soup" book, a famous author can only sit for so long!

Walking by yourself can be as exciting as doing taxes. After seeing the paw-tential for cat's riding in pet strollers on You-tube videos from around the world, why not do it in Cottage Grove?

Now, instead of me delaying daily exercise, my cats encourage me as they "demand their outings." It is fun to watch them enjoying spotting things on the walk.

When purchasing a pet stroller for small dogs or cats, consider your pets' weights and/or sizes. Strollers vary in size and cost. Our first stroller was small. It was an experiment to see if the cats would enjoy riding in it and they did! When they knew I was about to head outside, three or four of them would jump onto the "blue bus".

Because we have 4 cats, and walking them one at a time made for rather time-consuming walks, I began putting two at a time into the stroller. Big mistake! Just like toddlers, the one in back would hit the one in front to move over, to better see out of the screening. A fight ensued resulting in neither myself, nor the cats enjoying the walk. So, we opted to increase the stroller's size to accommodate two cats.

Nymbus, Myster E, and Whyspurr don't want to take turns,

they all want to ride at once!

The stroller's zipped enclosure allows for safe viewing through mesh-windows. You don't worry about your cat jumping out, or about a dog easily recognizing that you are walking a cat. The cats wear a harness and leash while in the stroller. When a cat indicates it needs to use the "litter box", it is then allowed to jump out, do it's thing, and walk on it's leash.

A friend gifted us with a small bottle of "Dog A-Way" spray to hang onto the stroller. There is a basket underneath the stroller for 'potty bags', water bottle, dish, cell phone, or whatever you may need for your pet or yourself.

How much do cats enjoy pet strollers? When I leave for a walk, the cats left behind jump onto a window ledge and yowl until our return. Then, they meet us at the door excitedly awaiting their turns. They jump into the stroller, their eyes sparkling in anticipation of 'their walk".

Pet strollers are a blessing for injured, handicapped, or older dogs who have difficulty walking. The strollers are also wonderful alternatives to walking on hot days when you wish to travel or run errands with your pet(s). Most stores allow pets in strollers into their establishments.

There are strollers for both joggers and walkers. Stroller wheels vary in design and size and the wheels determine a rough or a smooth ride over rocky terrain or paved surfaces.

When a pet loses the ability to walk, just like us, they become depressed. A regular walk in a stroller provides the pet with the same sense of freedom and opportunity to observe the "outside world" that they have always loved. Fresh air is as important to your pet's health as it is to yours and everyone benefits from the sun's Vitamin D.

People have long underestimated cats' paw-tential. Our cats' lists of accomplishments on their "job applications" has now increased: bike-riding, leash-walking, car-riding, swimming (only on hot days), and now, tooling around in pet strollers.

Our only regret about having a stroller is that we did not have one years earlier! Both the cats and I enjoy the trips outside and inside the house they relax and cat-nap in the stroller.

Once, after returning from a week-long business trip, one of the cats looked at me, ran full tilt in the direction of the stroller, leaped into it, then looked back with the expression, "Good. You are finally home. Lets go for a ride!" And since our pets own us....that is exactly what we did.