AIBU to think taking a pet cat on the bus is unusual

[Netcurtainnelly]

Is it strange to see a cat on the bus with it's owner?
A man boarded the bus yesterday with a cat. It was like his accessory fancy collar etc, and he was saying he was going to start taking the cat on the bus now.
Clearly enjoying it?

Has anyone else even seen someone board with a cat in arms?

Lots of people in this city carry them around in bags that look like they have a goldfish bowl on the top (rucksack) .

seem on leads and harnesses in the park.

people like taking their friends out with them!

I’m a cat owner who has taken my cat on the bus. You already know it’s unusual so why do you ask if it is?

May have been taking the cat to the vets. Some people also have house cats they take on walks like a dog.

Cats are creatures of habit. It's only unusual because it's unusual - if a kitten is taken out and about regularly from a young age and is used to it then it is happy doing it. A cat who reaches adulthood having never been on a bus before would be frightened and stressed but a cat who has been accompanying its person for as long as it can remember is going to be pretty chill about it. Same goes for harnesses and leads - you can't get an adult cat to accept walking on a lead, but you can if you start right from kittenhood.

I've took my cat in her carrier on the bus to get to the vets before but not like this. It's certainly unusual in terms of you don't see it often (probably because most cats would hate it, mine would) but if the cat is happy with it then thats great for them.

Well It’s certainly unusual to see a “free roaming“ / not in a cat basket cat on a bus! Which one of them was clearly enjoying the trip? Owner or cat? Seems risky. What was the owner going to do if a dog got on?!

This willpower your mind.

Some cats take the bus without a human

No not the vets. He was talking about it to people on the bus?

I saw someone with their cat on a lead at a national trust house. Pretty sure they were just walking it around the gardens and not actually going in the house. There is no way my cat would put up with that. He loves roaming outside but I think its ridiculous to take cats out on a lead like a dog.

Exactly. It was in his arms.
Also he got down right near a little girl in a pushchair to show her the cat and see if she wanted to stroke it. What if it had scratched her face?

Not lead. In arms.

What in your arms lol?
Any plans for if a dog got on or the cat scratched someone, and the cat got loose and was running round the bus?

That's a bit risky with the cat potentially getting scared and jumping from their arms. They are really fast animsls. Should be in a cat carrier.

My cat would try and kill me if I did this!

I saw someone with two ferrets on a bus once

I’ve seen hoodies advertised that have a pouch in front and a hole for the cat/small dog to stick its head out.

True.

I had a cat that would sometimes go missing for days. One time, we were out searching from him and my mum noticed a coach parked up. She asked the driver if he'd seen a cat, he said no, but that my mum was welcome to have a look on the coach. My mum found my cat curled up, fast asleep on a seat. She said if he had wanted to go on a coach trip, she would have bought him a ticket!

I was just going to say this, i saw a couple in a cafe with a cat in a bowl! People were laughing at them tbf, why would you take your cat out in a bowl!

Met a massive black cat on a train in Sweden. He had a little harness. I saw him come on and prayed his owner would sit next to us, she did . He did the journey regularly as he went to work with her ! He was very relaxed.

ive seen a man with two ferrets on a bus and walking them in the street , they are very cute

In a carrier?

No, they were on a kind of two headed lead

My neighbour goes strolling about with his cat strapped to his front in a sort of see-through bag. I think it's for attention from the lay-deez.

Oh I LOVE this. I have a black cat. Furthest we’ve been is the vet’s with him howling in a pet carrier. Don’t think he likes it much

Yes I've seen a cat and their owner get off a bus in a city centre. It was a very calm chilled cat! Mine has a lead but is far too jumpy for public areas. But if dogs can go on buses and to cafés and pubs etc it's only fair that chilled out cats can too.
We used to take our rabbit out on a harness and lead occasionally, she was a very chilled rabbit.