7 Reasons You Should Absolutely Bring Your Cat on a Play Date

Take a walk through any American city on a sunny afternoon, and you’re bound to see dogs in purses and dogs in parks. But why should our canine companions have all the fun? Cats are, in fact, America’s most popular domestic mammal, so let’s bring them out to play! 

Doesn’t Play Well With Others

I’m not sure how cats got such a bad reputation—especially amongst people who do not own cats. There’s this prevailing belief they are antisocial, cold, and pretentious.

And mean.

“Oh no! Don’t touch Shnookums’s tail!”

“I know it looks like Fluffy wants you to scratch his belly, but he’s just setting a trap for you!”

“Oh, god! Oh, no! Quick, put Percy down before he … Nevermind, I’ll go get some antiseptic and something to mop up all that blood. Sorry about your face.”

To put it plainly, I think all that is a load of freshly scooped, litter-scented crap. Just like dogs, cats are very much a product of their owners. Treat a cat like a fragile, dangerous creature, and it’s likely to become one. But if you constantly touch its paws, rub its belly, pull its tail (lightly), and generally smother it with love? You find yourself dealing with a whole other animal.

Just ask our fur baby, Prince Luca. Not only can we swing him upside down by his tail, he’s also far more of a people person than either of his owners. He insists on being the center of attention in any gathering, has impeccable taste in music (seriously), and even requires his own chair so he can sit with us at the dinner table.

The idea that a cat is cold and antisocial—that it doesn’t play well with others—doesn’t float in this household. So when the sort-of-crazy concept of bringing Prince Luca to visit our dear friends’ cat, Lady Shelly (who is grieving the recent loss of a kitty companion) came up, we thought: Why not?

You read it here first, folks. Kitty play dates are going to be all the rage. Here are seven reasons why:

7 Reasons To Bring Kitty A’Courtin’

A Hot New Accessory

Ladies, forget expensive bags from Coach, or Vera Bradley. The ultimate over-the-shoulder can be picked up for a fraction of the price at your local PetCo. Imagine sleek black canvas, fine mesh, and a padded fleece insert. That’s right, is there anything more chic than the iconic cat carrier? And should you tire of toting Schnookums on your shoulder, the handy top handles offer another way to port your feline companion from Point A to Point B.

Take a stroll down Main Street with one of these, and you’ll be the talk of the town.

The Radio is Tired

Admit it, every time you turn on the car radio, you groan. Didn’t that Shawn Mendes song come out like, a year and a half ago? They call this [enter city name here]’s Best Variety?

Well, don’t worry. If you’re bringing Percy on a play date, you might as well switch the radio off. Instead, sit back and relax as he sings to you throughout the duration of your drive. Specifically, he’ll meow like he’s being murdered approximately every five seconds. It might be harder to dance to than that same Katy Perry song they’ve been playing since 2011, but the sound is oh so fresh!

See The World Through Fresh Eyes

Presumably you’re bringing Fluffy someplace you’ve been approximately a million times. Presumably this is Fluffy’s first time (unless of course you’re way ahead of the cat-play-date curve here). When you let Fluffy out of his super-chic carrier, feel free to see like a kid again—like Fluffy does—eyes full of wonder.

Follow him around as he slinks around every corner, utterly amazed by that bar cart you’ve never taken much notice of. Laugh with delight as he discovers that the world is, in fact, filled with other boxes of sweet-smelling sandy stuff and feces.

Build Kitty’s Vocabulary

Our Prince Luca has always been a vocal cat. He meows, he purrs, he chatters a bit now and then. But before our play date with Lady Shelly, he’d only ever hissed one time in his entire life (when he first met his own kitty companion, our Dame Sookie). I actually didn’t think he’d remember how, but when he finally met Lady Shelly, deep under a queen-sized bed, he made all sorts of sounds I didn’t know were even possible.

There was the hiss, and … a growl? And a mew?

I’m a writer. Words are super important to me. How could I be anything but overjoyed to see Prince Luca expressing himself so eloquently. And that’s what it was too, objectively. He meant her no harm, and physically expressed no malice.

Take your cats for a visit, people. You never know what they might say.

Puppy … er … Kitty Love

Cats are way more social than some people think. When Schnookums meets Percy, they’ll probably take a little while to warm up, but don’t be surprised if Schnookums falls hopelessly in love, and spends the rest of the night following Percy around at a safe, but constant distance of three feet.

We all just want to be loved, right?

The Pursuit of Undiscovered Lands

If the people you are visiting have long given up hope of finding that rogue sock, or the remote to the audio receiver, just wait. Fluffy will find all the nooks and crannies in their home, and squeeze his way into them. Like under the couch. Maybe even inside of the couch. Then, once securely hidden away, he will meow, alerting you as to his location, as well as the location of that Starbucks gift card you were looking for last April.

You’ll Feel Right At Home

Finally, when the hour grows late, and normally you’d be anxious to get home to your cat, you’ll realize it’s totally acceptable to stay for another episode of Black Mirror, because Percy is right there, already curled up on your lap.

If cats make a house a home (and I do believe they do), bringing them along guarantees you’ll feel right at home wherever you are.

On A Serious Note

It should go without saying that a lot of this post is to be taken in jest. Of course, we did bring Prince Luca on a playdate. It did go well. We might do it again sometime before Lady Shelly gets another permanent feline companion. However…

I believe above all else in responsible animal stewardship. Keep your kitties safe (and for us at least, indoors). No cats in purses, people! That would just be ridiculous. Like, as ridiculous as taking them on play dates …

Share your thoughts! Do you have a social cat? Do you see felines as adorable, sharp, dangerous little monsters? Would you ever consider taking kitty on a day trip? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks as always for reading,

Gregory