What is the name of your cat?
Gibson
Photo (above): Gibson out cat exploring. Where he enjoys it the most!. Portrait taken by @thegibsonchronicles
Where is your cat family located in?
Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
What is the breed of your cat?
He is a Domestic Shorthair (Grey Tabby).
How old is your cat?
He is 1 year old. His birthday is on the 22nd of March.
Where can we find your cat on social media?
On Instagram @thegibsonchronicles
In a few short words/sentences, tell us about your cat's personalities.
I honestly feel like there's nothing logical for a cat to do that Gibson can't do. His top traits are confident, adaptable, and smart!
How has your cat transformed your life from the moment you've met him till now?
The day we drove Gibson home, he wanted to look out the window of the car rather than be contained (the person we got him from let us borrow a carrier which he didn't care to be in). He confidently watched the world go by as we brought him home.
Since that day we knew he'd be down for harness training. Doing so has brought us into a community of cat explorers who have encouraged us to keep trying new things with Gibson. We now get encouraged daily by others in the cat community and love to encourage others as well! Meeting this community has lead to lots of other pathways of bonding with Gibson.
For example, upon meeting up with Julie from Cat School for a cat explorer hang, she taught Gibson to give a high five in under 5 minutes. It was from that moment on that I knew he'd also be keen on being trained. Most of what I do now has to do with Gibson! I've even started a blog (featuring Gibson, of course). Gibson has motivated me to do more to help prove that cats are capable of so much more!
What does your cat mean to you?
I can't even imagine life without Gibson.
How did you and your cat first meet? Tell it to us in the form of a short story.
We were sitting at a burger joint in a city called Missisauga (about 30KM from our apartment) called Burger's Priest with no real intention of adopting a kitten. We were looking on a site that had kittens up for adoption and came across Gibson's photo. His ears took up most of the picture and we just couldn't get over how perfect he looked for us so went to pick him up that night.
What do you think your cat thinks of you?
Gibson and I have a bond like no other. Because we take him outside and train with him he and I have an understanding of one another like no other. The definition 'mainstay' is the person or thing that something depends on most in order to continue or be successful. Gibson wants to explore. He wants to train. I have yet to discover what else Gibson can do and I honestly feel like he depends on me to help bring that out in him. I'd say I'm his 'mainstay'.
Your cat is part of your family. What are some things they do that make you think that they consider you part of theirs?
Family is living together in a household. We are part of his family because he sees us as his home base. He needs to be by one of us or at least has his eye on us almost always. He chooses to start and end the day with us. He depends on us not just for food but for company as he comes to us for cuddles, play, to go outside, to go to "cat school" and learn new things. He's a buddy to us and we know by his actions that the feeling is mutual.
What are some accounts your cat likes to follow on Instagram?
@mytrailbuddy
@my.cat.got.talent
@zeddiecat
@thebusmabunch
@ziggy.and.charlie
@finnriverkitty
@cashmeowtside
@theoretically.teddy
@adventures.of.barley.and.hops
@roxythe_kitty
Why do you feel that it is important to show the world that Cats are Family?
Cats as part of a family will look different for every unit. Don't look at other families with cats in them and say, "I want a cat so that I can look like this". Bring a cat into your family and read their behaviours and personalities to create your own family dynamic.
One thing we'd like to bring awareness to is that although it's equally as awesome for cats to be strictly indoor, we'd also like to challenge those bringing a cat into their family to consider introducing them to the outside world (on a harness) so that they can participate, experience and share the world you get to be a part of as well.
Try training them and having them go to cat school as well - they may surprise you with all they are capable of learning! Doing these things will absolutely strengthen the bond that you and your feline companion already have!
Sarah and Gibson (@thegibsonchronicles) are also ambassadors of the Cats are family Campaign. Please reach out to them for more information about this campaign and their cat family.
Over to you...
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