When traveling, Pumpkin loves to rub against and make her loud lawnmower purrs to everyone we meet. Pets and chin scratches are her favorite. With her love for attention and calm demeanor, we meet so many people who stop to ask to pet her (and usually say that this interaction made their day). This personality would make a perfect therapy animal, so we reached out to the therapy animal program at the SPCA to start the evaluation process.

She is a certified therapy cat.

In the therapy animal evaluation, Pumpkin was tested to see how she would handle being a pet in odd ways, people touching her paws, and her reaction to wheelchairs and crutches – she purred through the whole thing! After passing the evaluation with flying colors, Pumpkin became the only therapy cat in the Pet Assisted Therapy program. We get to visit schools, community centers, and other places where people need a little cat pick-me-up. Petting an animal is scientifically proven to lower stress levels. The smiles, comments, and conversations we hear while on a therapy visit prove this. Who wouldn’t smile while petting a super friendly fluffy cat? 

When she’s not on a therapy visit, Pumpkin is out exploring! Just like her name, every fall she likes to put on her Pumpkin costume and visit the pumpkin patches in Half Moon Bay, CA.

Walking a cat is so different than a dog – a walk is on Pumpkin’s terms! Sometimes she wants to walk and explore, and other times (most of the time), she prefers to be carried like royalty in a backpack or a tote.

Pumpkin jumps out when she wants to walk (or when she needs to use the bathroom). Sometimes when we're at the beach, she uses it as a giant litter box!

She’s a true adventurer. Not only does Pumpkin love to hike, but she enjoys spending all the time outside like camping or kayaking.

Our goal is to show the world that there's more than just indoor and outdoor cats. Sometimes, there are cats who love to go out on leashes. Pumpkin even makes other cat friends in San Francisco and attends cat meetups with other adventure cats!

From the pattern of her fur and her sweet-natured personality to her love for adventure, Pumpkin is a unique cat. From the beginning, she was born to explore. She was born in Boston and flew across the country to San Francisco as a young kitten. There, Pumpkin enjoyed exploring the house, which turned into exploring the backyard and then to the local community and beyond. To give Pumpkin the confidence and enjoyment to explore, I trained her to use a cat backpack, harness, and leash from the first days after she arrived.

Initially, Pumpkin wore the harness and leash and was carried in her backpack for short periods indoors. I began taking her outside once she was comfortable walking with her new gear. Her curiosity to explore made it easy to encourage her to walk around without noticing the harness and leash. When she was ready, I took her for walks around the neighborhood and then car rides to the beach, city, and beyond. Now, not only is she an expert walking on a leash, but she’s traveled to 19 states, been on many camping trips, and discovered her love of kayaking.

Because Pumpkin knows that her backpack is her safe spot, it makes her more confident to go out and explore. When we visit a new place, Pumpkin typically starts in her backpack, then when she shows she’s ready to get out (usually moving around and leaning out the front), she climbs out and walks around on a leash. She knows that her backpack is always there if she needs it.

Walking a cat is very different than walking a dog. Pumpkin loves to meander along a trail and sniff and explore everything she passes by. I am always watching her closely to ensure she doesn’t chew on anything that shouldn’t be chewed or so that I can pick her up from incoming dogs. Now that Pumpkin and I have been adventuring together for a few years, I notice her behavior, meow types, and watch how she moves. Her tail, body, and ears hold so much expression. With all our adventures, I make sure Pumpkin is prepared for whatever we have in store–a cat lifejacket for kayaking, a cozy warm cat cave for cooler camping nights, a travel litter box for car rides, or extra water for warmer days (plus a cute bandana or two to match the season). I’m always ready to adapt to her needs, whether offering her a treat, putting her back in her backpack, or moving to a new spot.

There is a reason for the growing adventure cat community. “Indoor cats” no longer have to stay indoors their whole lives. Instead, cats with adventurous personalities can explore outside with their humans, which gives them the joy of being outside and increases their bond with their owners. In San Francisco, Pumpkin is part of a growing community of adventure cats who regularly meet up with their humans. It is so much fun to connect with others in the adventure cat community and watch cats to go around and sniff each other. Pumpkin’s favorite spot during these times is to sit on a chair so she can watch all the other cats.

Our favorite moments are those spent outside. Pumpkin loves all the chin scratches from the people we meet, and I love connecting with others in our community. I love how many people who pass by and typically wouldn’t stop to chat do so when I have Pumpkin. We’ve grown to connect with so many others and are told many stories about their own cats, pets, or life happenings. As someone during one of our therapy pet visits said, it’s really easy to open up when you’re petting a cat.

Pumpkin hopes to spread joy and positivity by seeing a cat on a leash and inspire more people to take their cats outside. In our opinion, there’s no better feeling than exploring the world with a cat.