Wait - You WALK Your CAT?!?

You may recognize Mia from our website. She's currently starring in our FLASH rotation with a cat fact.

Today, we bring you an interview with Mia's person, Melissa!



What is your cat's name?
My cats actual name is Mia Sidewalk but we just call her Mia.

How old is she?
She'll be two years old in a couple of months.

Does she have a favorite toy?
Mia plays with absolutely everything, even my books. She entertains herself very easily so it's hard to know what's her favorite. If I had to hazard a guess though, I'd say she doesn't love anything more than cardboard. But especially cardboard
boxes. She meows constantly if I don't keep her cardboard box on my bed.


Favorite nap spot?
I'd say the cardboard box on my bed or on my fuzzy blanket (which she thinks is hers).

Favorite food?
Mia absolutely loves these flash frozen chicken treats that I buy her. When she sees that red bag filled with chicken goodness, she runs as fast as she can to whoever's holding it.

We heard a rumor that you walk Mia. Is this true?
Yes. It's true. (Don't feel bad if you're still skeptical, everyone Mia and I see on our walks either goes "Awe!" or stares in utter disbelief.)

Why did you start walking her?
I started walking her because Mia lived outside on her own for about two months when she was a kitten (she ran away from an abusive home) before a friend of my sisters captured her and my family took her in. She was used to being outside but we have so many coyotes and other wild animals in our area that it's really dangerous for a cat to be outside on their own. I tried to let her outside without a leash and just keep an eye on her and follow her around but she'd get spooked from a car passing by or other people and I'd have to run after her. After several failed attempts at that, I tried keeping her inside but she'd wail and she was miserable. I really didn't see any other option.

How often do you walk?
I try to walk her everyday. (If I don't or forget for even a moment, she'll sit at the door and meow.)

Was it easy at first? Or did it take her awhile to get used to the leash?
No! It definitely wasn't. She freaked out the first time I put the harness on. I left it on her for about a minute before taking it off. I had to keep putting on the harness and increasing the time with it slow enough she didn't get upset. Once she was used to the harness I added the leash. When I first started taking her on walks she'd crawl along the ground. Back then our walks mostly consisted of me picking her up, walking for a bit and letting her down where she'd sniff things and not really move. We developed a reward system. If she sniffed for more than a couple seconds I'd pick her up and wouldn't let her back down for a couple minutes. Eventually she got the gist and started walking for longer and more. The last couple months she's actually been running on the leash.

It took a while but it's worth it. She gets to be outside and I get to know that she's safe.

Tell us your favorite thing about Mia...
My favorite thing about Mia is that she is so expressive. She has a different meow for everything: when she wants food, her litter
changed, attention, a walk, etc, etc, etc.



Our favorite thing about Melissa's cat? Her hidden talent. She's very good at making signs. Here she is caught in the act.











And here she is posing for a picture with the final product.


Now THAT is one sweet cat. Our pets are what we make them, though, so at least partial credit has to go to Melissa.











Mia wants to know...
Do YOU have a favorite pet?