While we were on Raven Cliff trail I ran into a couple that had just gotten married. They were on their honeymoon and the women that was leading the way scared the living crap out of me. Spice was very interested in something in the distance and until she spoke I didn't notice that they were coming our way. Instantly I jumped up when she suddenly let out a very excited "oh my gosh a kitty!". Her new husband stopped and looked at Spice and then me. He seemed very unphased by this sudden realization that they were in the way of a cat and her owner. For a second there was a moment of silence and when my heart calmed down we started chatting.

Right off the bat she said that she was very excited to see a cat on the trail and that it made her miss her baby back home. She crouched down and asked if she could pet Spice and I told her she could but to be wary of the fact that Spice is a little stressed out and she may be shy. Being careful not to spook her she continued on with the conversation. She continued to tell me that her and her man just got married and they were on their honeymoon. My first thought was that it was strange that they would be in Helen Georgia for their honeymoon but then again, I don't know their life and how much they can or cannot spend.

She then goes to tell me she is a huge cat lover and that she was very happy that I took a cat outside and put her on a leash. Not very many people do that and it was a rare right to see people doing something so bold. Now I had heard that all day and quite honestly I started to tune it out a little. After a  full day of running into people who want to pet, get pictures, and just be in the presence of your baby...well it can be a lot to handle.

After she got done going crazy about Spice she then goes to tell me that when she gets home she wants to take her cat out on adventures. I take a second and think about how to tell her that she needed to be cautious about doing that. So I go through my mantra and tell her about my experience with Spice. I did about six months of training and the first two were the hardest obstacle because of the introduction of the harness. She flipped out and went crazy over being in the harness but worse, she nearly hurt herself when it came to having a leash added. It took a lot of persistence, patience and love to get her used to this new world that I was introducing her to. Of course this lady nodded and smiled and seemed to take in my words but I also knew that she probably didn't get everything I was saying. To her it probably seemed like a challenge and I just hope that she doesn't take her cat and throw it into a tough situation.

So if you are thinking about doing anything with your cat and start training, please be aware of how long it takes and that doing little bits at a time is key. Not every cat will want to be in a harness and not every cat will take the training seriously. So please be aware and safe when making this decision.