If you found yourself nodding along to any of those bits, youโre definitely not alone.
Back in 2020, before Mia and I started exploring the great outdoors together, I used to scroll through photos of โadventure catsโ on Instagram and think, HOW?!
I desperately wanted to learn how to take my cat outside on a leashโbut I didnโt know where to start. None of my friends had tried it, and I felt unsure and a little overwhelmed.
Eventually, I decided to stop waiting and just give it a shot. First, we practiced slowlyโjust inside my building. Then, a little braver, we ventured around the neighborhood. Since then, Miaโs been my little adventure buddy ever since.
At the start, I had no guidebook. Most of my early decisions were based on what I could find about dogs, mixed with what I knew about catsโand especially about Mia. Honestly? I was winging it.
I read tons of books. I binge-watched every cat-training YouTube video I could find. I just wanted to understand how to connect with her and build trust.
But still... something always seemed off.
Mia wouldnโt follow cues. Sometimes sheโd get spooked. Other times sheโd act completely different at home. I couldnโt figure out why it wasnโt working.
(Spoiler alert: If you donโt understand the root of a problem, itโs hard to fix it.)
Still, I loved going on adventures with her. I kept clicker training. Kept experimenting. Kept learningโawkwardly, but consistently. And little by little, things got better.
Mia was enjoying herself. I was figuring things out. And then something unexpected happened:
Friendsโand even early followers onlineโstarted asking me the same thing I used to ask myselfโฆ
"HOW?!"