Nathan
When you think of beaches and cats, Nathan is probably the first cat you think of.
But did you know, she also played an integral role in the creation of Catexplorer?
A video of Nathan swimming by the beach went viral a while ago. Till then we didn't realise that other people walked their cats on harnesses too!
It was because of this video that we started searching for other cats who are harnessed trained and stumbled across so many amazing and inspiring cats.
And they all inspired the creation of Catexplorer.
And today, we're so excited to feature Nathan on Catexplorer.
We asked her mum Melissa to tell us all about this kitty who is totally #catexplorergoals!
Tell us the story about how Nathan came into your family.
Nathan, her mum and 2 other siblings were found abandoned in a cardboard box on the side of a busy highway.
Someone then turned them into our local shelter (RSPCA), where we found her.
When we first laid eyes on her, it was love at first sight!
She was only 5 weeks old and so small, with a cheeky little personality. We had to wait another few weeks for her to be weaned from her mum and to reach ideal weight to be de-sexed and then we could finally take her home.
Tell us the story behind Nathan's name?
The name Nathan at first started as a joke before we got her.
It was inspired by a character from our favourite TV show at the time, called 'Angry Boys'.
The name just stuck once we got her. It made us laugh and still does!
We think it rather suits her now.
What is Nathan's favourite thing to do?
She loves to spend time with her hoomans.
She loves playing around at home, especially with her new little sister Winnie!
What kind of adventures does Nathan like to go on?
Nathan is a beach cat so our main adventure is exploring different beaches around Queensland.
We also venture around local parks.
Tell us about your most memorable adventure.
It was the first time Nathan actually swam!
She had been to the beach at this point a few times before and had only ventured out far enough to wet her chest.
This one particular day she had followed us out further into the water without hesitation. She could no longer touch the sand beneath her and she began to kick her legs and swim.
Her first time actually swimming!
She was a natural, we were proud parents! It was all caught on camera too, its our most favourite footage!
Why did you decide to train Nathan?
We were always going to have Nathan as an indoor only cat as it's for her safety but still wanted her to experience the wonders of the outdoors.
I had seen footage in the past of cats on leads just like dogs and thought this was a great way to bring her outside safely with us there supervising her at all times!
How did you train Nathan?
She's not a trained cat at all and we have no idea how to train animals.
Nathan has a very chill personality and adapts very quickly to anything we expose her to.
For example we never taught Nathan to swim or to walk off the lead, she just did it.
She's a very smart little cat.
What has been the most rewarding part of having a catexplorer?
Its great that we can include Nathan on our trips, she literally comes everywhere with us!
We love it and love her company. She enjoys the experiences too!
What has been the hardest?
The hardest thing is finding a suitable beach where we live now for Nathan. They are rough beaches and quite busy with lots of dogs.
We were very lucky to live where we did and have access to the most perfect beach.
So now we drive the 6 hrs every so often to get to the beach that Nathan loves.
In hindsight, what would you do differently?
Maybe we would exposure her to different outdoor environments other than the beach
What advice would you give other humans training their catexplorers?
Be patient! Sometimes things take time.
Listen to your cats body language and lots of positive reinforcement.
What are your favourite products for Nathan?
Our go-to harness is from Rogz.
We have used it since Nathan was a baby and now our new baby is using the exact same brand and we love it!
We also use a retractable lead so they have more freedom to move.
Is there another Catexplorer that inspires you?
@Vancatmeow. They travel around Australia, its very inspiring!
Follow Nathan (and her sister Winnie) on Instagram (@nathan_thebeachcat) and on Facebook.