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When you’re going on a hike you really need to prepare yourself but when you bring your feline friend along you’ll need to do even more preparations.
You could deal with something like an injury, bugs or even some type of weather change that’s not exactly to your liking. So what are some of things that you need to bring when they come along with you?
Harness
If you’re going on a hike naturally you’re going to need something to walk them around with. The harness that I recommend and probably the best one you can buy is is the “Kitty Holster Cat Harness (click here for the chewy.com link)“.
A lot of people like this thing and it’s the vest style harness that will keep your cat more secure which means it will be way less likely for them to get away.
If for some reason you would like the lead type of harness “PUPTECK Adjustable Cat Harness Nylon Strap Collar (click for amazon link)” would be a good choice. Keep in mind your cat will get tired so pick them up and put then on top of your backpack once in a while.
If for some reason you would like more options you can go to my article about harnesses here “Best Lead And Vest Cat Harnesses You Can Buy“.
Flea/Tick Collar
There are nasty bugs like fleas and ticks that you don’t want to deal with so a really nice to have is a flea/tick collar. The “Seresto 8 Month Flea & Tick Prevention Collar for Cats & Kittens (click here for the chewy.com link)” does a really good job with keeping these things away when you are out doing your thing.
Map And Compass
Another important thing you really need to bring along is a map and compass. This is especially true if you are taking a particular long hike with your cat.
You could also bring along a GPS but you run the risk of it running out of power since it takes batteries.
Cat Sling
At some point during the hike your cat is going to get tired and it would be a good idea to have a carrier to bring a long with you. I would suggest the “iPrimio Dog and Cat Sling Carrier (click here for the amazon link)” or something similar to this design.
I like this one a lot because you can wear it like a messenger bag and not have to leave your backpack behind if you are using one on your hike. If you want information on really good cat harnesses you can get go to my article here “Best Cat Carriers For Long Distance Travel“.
Food
Your cat is going to be doing a lot of walking so it would be a good idea to bring some food along so they have some energy. Cat treats would be a great thing to bring along.
If you want to give your cat more than just treats a portable cat dish like “Frisco Silicone Collapsible Travel Bowl with Carabiner, 1.5 Cups (click here for the chewy.com link)” would be really convenient to bring along.
It can hold both food and water at the same time and you can zip it back up and store the container in your backpack when you’re cat is done with it.
Lighting
If you happen to get lost it would be a really good idea to bring along a flashlight, lantern or anything that emits light so you can see where you are going if you are stuck during the night.
Tent
To get more into possibly getting lost taking something with you like a tent would be really wise to bring along. It will make this experience much easier to deal with.
Matches, Chemical Firestarter Or Dry Tinder
If for some reason you need to make a fire this things would be really wise to bring along as it will make it much easier to create a fire.
Water
You don’t want to let your cat drink from ponds, lakes or any similar water source as they could get a water borne disease if they do that. Instead you want to bring your own water with you so you don’t have this problem. Filtered or bottled water would be the best choice for them.
It would also be a good idea to bring a collapsible water bowl. Highwave “AutoDogMug Portable Water Bottle & Bowl, Blue, 20-oz bottle + Frisco Pet Toy & Bowl Cleaning Wipes (click here for the chewy.com link)” is a great way to bring water along for your cat.
If you have to use these sources of water you’ll want to use water filter or purifying tablets.
Medication
If your cat for some reason takes some type of medication for anything you should make sure to bring this along.
Poop Bags
You really don’t want to leave waste around as cat waste contains parasites that could be harmful to other animals or even people. Some that I recommend are “Pogi’s Poop Bags (click for amazon link)“. They are scented and made out of recyclable materials.
Sun Protection
This is really important especially if you have a hairless breed, short haired breed cat or if they have really light fur. You will want to get sun-protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 that will block both UVA and UVB rays. You might also want to get sunglasses that block UVA and UVB lightas well.
Cat Jacket
Believe it or not there are special jackets that are made for cats and it would be a really good idea to get one if you are hiking in colder weather. I like the “Pet Life Metallic Fashion Pet Parka Coat (click for amazon link)” for hiking and they come in many sizes and colors.
Cat Backpack
If you don’t want to walk your cat around with a harness you can actually get a cat backpack that you can put them inside. If you want more information on these you can go to my best list here “Best Cat Backpacks That I Recommend“.
Snow Boots
If you want to walk in the snow but your cat isn’t too fond of the idea you could get them snow boots and see if they change their mind about it.
Your cats feet could get cold and they could get frostbite if they are exposed to the cold for too long so it would be a really good idea to invest in some of these.
The “GabeFish Puppy Snow Booties (click here for the amazon link)“. These are extremely cheap and they work quite well for the price.
First-aid Kit
When you’re hiking or traveling anywhere with your cat for that matter you should really bring one of these along.
Your cat might get injured or you might need tweezers to pull off a tick your cat might have. The one I would recommend is the “RC Pet Products Pet First Aid Kit (click for amazon link)“.
It has pretty much everything you need in case of an emergency and its really easy to store in a backpack.
Multi Use Tool
It always a good idea to have one of these because you never know when you will need it for things like cutting bandages. This tool on Amazon would be a really good choice. It has everything you need if you are out in the wilderness.
Rain Coat
Cats really hate water for the most part because it messes with their body heat so if you don’t want them to get wet you could get them a rain coat if you’re on a hike and it unexpectedly rains.
A good one here called the “Rely2016 Rain Coat For Cats (click for amazon link)” works quite well for this type of situation. It could be really helpful if you want to keep walking and you don’t want them to be soaked by the time you’re done with the hike.
Collar With ID Tags
If for some reason your cat gets lost it would be a good idea to have identification so there is a chance your cat could be returned to you.
You will want to put your name, address and phone number on it so if someone finds your cat they can safely be returned to you.
Micro Chip
This isn’t something that I really use but it can help with getting your cat returned to you even easier and you can prove that you own the cat if it happens to get stolen. If you want that extra layer of safety I would recommend doing this for your cat.
Cat Friendly Bug Spray
This one I think is really important because your cat is going to be around mosquitoes, fleas and worst of all ticks. Don’t use regular bug spray on your cat that you would use on yourself because that could be potentially harmful to them.
If you want to avoid your cat getting bit by not only mosquitoes but also fleas and ticks you could use “Wondercide Flea and Tick and Mosquito Control Spray (click for amazon link)“.
You not only can use this on your pets but you can use it on other things as well such as fabrics. If you use this spray you will greatly reduce being bothered by bugs while on your hike.
Conclusion
If you bring mostly everything that I listed here you should be able to hike with your cat with no problems.
