Ultimate TEST to See if Your Cat is an Adventure Cat

Cats can and will walk on a leash. Every day more people are taking their cats out on a leash. If you are watching this video, either you are considering it or you have done it and are looking for some additional tips. Walking a cat is not exactly like walking a dog.

Cats are both predators and prey and because of it they tend to be more alert and curious about their environment and can get overwhelmed easier than dogs. Preventing these mistakes will probably lead to a better and safer experience for both you and your cat.

THE PYGMALION EFFECT - People are Biased About Cats Walking on a Leash

It’s 1965. There are these Harvard Psychologists, Lenore Jacobsen, and Robert Rosenthal. They approached this elementary school in California and are like. 

“Hey, we’ve got a test that we can give you, guys, that can help you identify the special kids, the awesome kids, the ones that are going to do amazing things. They are going to be Genius!”.

They called them “intellectual bloomers”. So, the school agrees.

The Harvard Professors shared the results with the school. You have the special kids and you have the average kids. Students don’t know that they are being tested but the teachers do.

The psychologists go back a year later and what they find is… the test results were incredibly accurate. The special kids blew the average kids out of the water in every single subject: Math, Science, English, Everything, even sport!

The reality is that the test was false. It wasn’t real. The test was a regular IQ test and the special students were chosen at random. 

The list was an indiscriminate 20 percent sample of the entire school population. The teachers got fed this narrative so they were more patient, they put in the effort, and they gave them opportunities. The teachers were more invested in those kids… More amazingly, when they administered another IQ test to students, they found that the IQs of the bloomers had increased significantly over the year. This is called the Pygmalion effect.

Lies About Bengal Cats - The Spots Don't Make the Adventure Cat

 You might be wondering, Albert why are you telling us this story?

Bengal cat breeding is a very lucrative business for many breeders and rumors and lies about the breed have made Bengal cats become special students amongst the cats. 

Bengal cats being more adventurous is the result of the Pygmalion effect. 

Adventure lovers are fed the narrative that bengal cats are better for adventuring. Then, very invested cat lovers that want to go on adventures with their cat buy a Bengal, they put a lot of love and effort to make it happen, and the cat likes it (because let’s be honest, most cats will love the outdoors) and there you go, another Bengal cat feeding the Pygmalion effect.

Every cat regardless of age or breed can enjoy the outdoors and can learn clicker training. I know that now you are going to say, but Albert my cat does this and that which proves that they might not like outdoors… and you will be right!

Not all cats have the same predisposition to go on adventures so I’ve created a test to help you understand if your cat is an adventure cat and if not, to help you find opportunities to introduce them to the lifestyle.

Get the test straight into your inbox!

I've made a video to make the test easier to digest, you can watch it here:

The test will assess your cat’s readiness to go on adventures and its divided in 3 parts: Curiosity, Outdoor Drive and Energy. 

The problem with walking a cat that's ready is that cats are very different than dogs. Make sure you have a successful introduction.

Stay Wild, Stay Safe... SEE YOU OUTDOORS!

Albert & Mia