Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Stepping Out With Wylla Stout: Cannon Beach, Oregon

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This weekend, Craig, the Folks, Wylla and I headed to the coast and spent a lovely couple of days in Cannon Beach, Oregon, one of the most beautiful places in the Northwest.  It was Wylla's biggest adventure and longest ride in the car.  With lunch, coffee, bathroom breaks and a couple of stops for scenic overlooks, the trip took about five hours.  As we expected, our seasoned traveler did remarkably well.  It was an easy, uneventful, stress-free ride for all of us.

She travels easy, but she doesn't travel light. Her carrier, bed, blankets, food, food dish, blender, water dish, litter, litter box, scoop, towels, paper towels, rug cleaner (just in case her dinner comes back up), brush, harness, leash, favorite mouse and treats took up half the space in the back of the Subaru.

Cannon Beach is a pretty pet-friendly town, so it wasn't too hard finding a place to stay.  

And by pet-friendly, they really do mean dog-friendly, don't they Wylla? That's OK, even if they had kitty treats in the welcome basket, she couldn't eat them, anyway.  We tried playing frisbee - it really isn't much fun for a kitten.

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Wylla made herself right at home in our hotel room, had a snack, and started exploring under the beds,  on the shelves and in the bathroom cupboards.  She even made her way up to the fireplace mantle.  She was curious about the scents left by previous pet guests,  and needed to examine each and every one.  

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After a little relaxing and unpacking, we got Wylla suited up in her harness, and we all headed out to the ocean.    

When we hit the sand, I held her close and she peered over my shoulder. With wide eyes, pivoting ears and flared nostrils, Wylla took in the sights, sounds and smells of the beach - not nervous at all, just calm and quiet. 

We overheard many "Is that a cat???" and were stopped by several people wishing to say hello. Wylla gladly accepted pets and even a few kisses on the head from the strangers on the beach.  Some even took photographs of our oceanside oddity.  She triggered many smiles and pointing fingers.  

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We walked along the beach and Wylla took turns riding on our shoulders. Once she seemed acclimated,  I put her down in the sand so she could explore.  She stayed close with her nose to the ground, never walking far enough to tighten the slack in her leash.  

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After an afternoon of exploration, we headed back to the hotel and all took naps. Wylla was a wee bit tired after such a full day, and so were we. 

The next morning, we ventured off to the ocean again.  While Mom and Dad explored the tide pools,   Craig sat down and painted a watercolor of the beautiful scenery.  Thanks to a soccer injury, he's on crutches which made it difficult for him to walk too far in the sand, so he stayed near the edge of the beach. 

I walked with Wylla along the water's edge. It was blustery enough to part her fur and bend whiskers.  She enjoyed watching leaves and bits skip around in the sand and when I set her down,  she pounced and played.  Eventually we joined Craig, and Wylla sat on his lap while he finished his painting and we waited for my parents to return.

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Later that afternoon, we dropped Craig at the coffee house, and the rest of us did a little shopping in town. Wylla perched on my shoulders while we walked around, and when we into the shops, Dad sat on a bench and watched Wylla and held purchases.     


The trip back home was another easy ride. When we returned, Charlene was very happy to see us, and very eager to smell her sister.  I wish Bean could have come along,  but I know she was much happier staying home and having her BFF Sarah come over for visits.  Charlene doesn't care much for the car, and putting a harness on her, I'm sure, would require a pair of falcon handling gloves and possibly some Neosporin and Bandaids.

It really was fun taking Wylla along on vacation.  She was SO GOOD the whole time, never stressed at all. She truly is an unflappable cat, and seems to enjoy the freedom she has.  

It's funny to think that when we first started talking about adopting Wylla, we thought of how it might be restrictive having a special-needs cat.   As it turns out, it's quite the opposite!

We look forward to more adventures to come!  And I think Wylla does too!









49 comments:

  1. Wow! Our cats, like Charlene, are not travellers, so it's amazing to hear how well Wylla takes to the adventures. We always wonder how our cats would respond to the beach. I'm so glad Wylla enjoyed her day a la plage.

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  2. Dearest Laurie, Thank you for sharing a wonderful trip with us. It was everything I could wish and more!!! What a nice thing to come home to after a rough day at work. :-) -darin

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  3. she is indeed amazing. never heard of cats that like to go with owners. my kitties bawl the whole way to the 15 minute drive to the vet.

    emma and buster

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  4. The neosporine & bandages cracked me up! That would definitely be in line if I tried taking either of my two anywhere besides the vet (and that's hard enough!) I'm so glad everyone had a good vacation & Wylla is adorable w/her leash/harness setup!

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  5. p.s. I think I speak for us all when I say that we also look forward to your future adventures! What a brave, wonderful little soul. -darin

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  6. What a great trip and how lovely to have Wylla with you. My cat LOVES the beach, not sure why (she was abandoned 4 years ago) but the beach is her thing!! she also loves dogs so that could be it.
    Craigs' water colour look terrific

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    1. Perhaps because, to a cat, the whole world at the beach is a litterbox!

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  7. Ahhhh, little Wylla is the kitten of a thousand blessings- everyone who meets her is charmed by her and is delighted by her. They will go home and talk about her instead of the scenery! And she somehow knows to stay near and stay calm. What a perfect kitten!

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  8. Wylla Stout: Kitten, Traveler, Assistant Artist...

    She makes me feel lazy!

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  9. My heart is warm and happy for these photos and wonderful story.

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  10. I just adore Wylla's sweet little body & face! Seeing her in all these different places & positions (ie. SAND!!) is so cute I can hardly stand it!

    >< kablooey my heart! ><

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  11. Very cool. I'm tempted to bring my own kitten up to the San Juans with me tomorrow.

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  12. Laurie, you really know how to weave a tale.

    Thanks for sharing the pics and stories of wee Wylla and the family. I'm in awe of that little baby.:)

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  13. Holy cuteness, this made my day. I, too, have an adventurer in Julie the Cat & so it's fun to read these Stepping Out tales. I look forward to more. (Did you ever read the books about Norton, "The Cat Who Went to Paris" and "A Cat Abroad" (by Peter Gethers)? If not, they are very entertaining....

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  14. Wylla is such a sweet little thing, so cool and unflappable. What a beautiful specimen, both physically and emotionally.

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  15. I'm glad you had a great trip. Wylla is definitely meant to be part of your family!

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  16. That first photo is hilarious. It's like Wylla has her "serious packing checklist" face on. "Did you remember my blankets? My water bowl? My favorite mousie? Beanie's favorite fishie I'm not allowed to touch? Are you sure? Let's go over the list again."

    And she's just a beauty especially in the final windblown pic, and I will never get enough of the *perfectly round eyeball* expression.

    I <3 Wylla

    Get better soon Craig!

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  17. PS. "Charlene doesn't care much for the car, and putting a harness on her, I'm sure, would require a pair of falcon handling gloves and possibly some Neosporin and bandaids."

    Ha ha, I know this well, as I always say, if I want to bathe my Mini it would require giant oven mitts, if not a full hazmat suit. :)

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  18. What a great story, and the photos (as always) are so cute! That little Wylla is really something...

    Is there perhaps a coffee table book or children's story here? It seems like you already have a title: "Out and About with Wylla Stout." Just a thought...

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  19. Wylla: "Look at all this sand! It's like one giant litterbox!!"

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  20. I've always wanted a traveling cat. She looks absolutely darling sitting on The Kitten Whisperer's shoulder, with his and her hair flowing about.

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  21. My favorite floofy kitty at my favorite part of the world --the perfect combination. I grew up vacationing just a few miles from Cannon Beach. I couldn't be more thrilled that Wylla loves it, too! And I do hope we can Craig's finished painting, too.

    I hope your parents had as much fun travelling with Wylla as she had being out and about!

    - Isaac, Emily and Laura

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  22. I daresay Miss Wylla views the world as her dinette...and all the humans in it are here to honor her, CHarlene and all others of the feline purrsuasion.

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  23. What a wonderful trip. She is a true blessing

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  24. Wylla really is so amazingly special - I have to admit I've NEVER seen a kitten, or cat, on the beach! I'm glad she (and you) had such a good time. :)

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  25. The beach! I can't imagine either of my kitties on the beach! I think the sand would totally freak them out. Wylla may be 'special needs,'' but I'm thinking that really, she's just 'special'!

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  26. Wylla is one special kitty. I bet she was the hit of the beach (as long as she knew which sandbox was which).

    I hope Craig gets better soon. It sounds like he still had a good time with Wylla to keep him company. I never considered taking my cats with me on vacation. I don't think they'd handle it well and there would be too much to bring in my small car. (I'd also be worried about the car getting too hot with every stop. I couldn't enjoy myself.)

    Very nice vacation photos too!

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  27. Until I saw the picture of her eating standing up at the cooler (too cute!) I had completely forgotten there was anything different about Wylla. What a tough little nut, who found just the right family!

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  28. Clever Craig remembered to bring his pocket watercolor set and his pocket kitty.

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  29. My kitty convert hubby was amazed by these photos and of Wee Wylla's adventure!! I told him he had to read this and he loved it. I agree that a book of Wylla's travels is in order :)

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  30. She looks a bit like Sygmond the Grey in some of those photos!

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  31. These "Out and About with Wylla Stout" posts are among my favorites lately. What a special girl she is to enjoy riding in the car, being at the ocean and meeting new admirerers.

    I can safely say that any of our little sweeties would be more like Charlene HomeBean, preferring to hear about travels rather than take them. And one injured member of the family is more than enough; we don't want you risking life and limb trying to convince Charlene otherwise.

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  32. Awww! I wish I could take my cat out for travels. She hates her harness :(

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  33. One can have a traveling cat if one starts early! Like Wylla, kittenhood is the best time to teach them to travel. We had a cat, Badfinger, who commuted to work because he was bottle fed. He loved the car until he passed.

    I do love picture 13, where we can truly see how petite Miss Wylla really is! Hope Craig mends soon. Can we see his watercolor?

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  34. Oh Wylla, you have such adventures with your Mom and Dad and Grandma and Grandpa!

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  35. What a wonderful adventure for Wylla! But I had to laugh at picture #9 because Wylla looks like she is saying "How did you find such a big litter box?!?"

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  36. In picture 11 it's almost like she's saying "Wow! Biggest litterbox ever!"

    I'm loving this series, I agree with the others that these stories would make a great book down the line.

    Also, thanks for putting Cannon Beach on my radar. Being an east coastie, it never occurred to me that Oregon would have such beautiful coastal scenery (Yeah I know, they're on the Pacific Ocean, duh). I will definitely have to add it to the list of places to visit when I'm out west in the future.

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  37. CB is so dog friendly, I'm sure everyone would have taken a second look when they saw Wylla.

    Love the wind blowing her furs.

    I'm so glad she does so well on her leash.

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  38. LOL at the litter box comments. What a sweet, special kitty she is, and a wonderful feline ambassador. Also wishing speedy healing for Craig, and to see the finished watercolor.

    As with other kitties mentioned, LG *hates* riding in the car. He only goes to the vet (and he's not a big fan of the vet either, although they are quite cat-friendly in their handling of kitties). He did once have a very long car ride after being found on the streets as an injured kitten. (I didn't know him back then but have heard the story.)

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  39. It really is pretty unbelievable how calm she is! Not many cats are so relaxed about it all. Very cool to have a cat that can share in your adventures!

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  40. Wylla is an amazing little cat! I love that she is so excited to go on vacation with you--she clearly had a fabulous time checking out the sites!

    Melly is a pretty chill traveller and used to wear a harness without any fuss. I wonder if I could re-train her...

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  41. I think this may be the cutest post ever. And that is saying a lot. She's so sweet.

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  42. What a lucky cat! Was she curious about the water at all? I bet her paw prints in the sand were adorable!

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  43. I loved this story, every bit of it!! Thank you for that beautifully written expedition description!

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  44. AWW Wylla is such a doll! I absolutely loved the last photo, her fur looks magnificent.

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  45. Have you been to Hug Point? It's a little south of Cannon Beach, along 101. The tide pools are some of the best I've ever seen, there are some caves along the beach, and it isn't as touristy as Cannon Beach.

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  46. That was my favorite place to stay in Cannon Beach when I had my dogs. I love how pet friendly they are, and the units are just beautiful and well-equipped for nearly everything.

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  47. Wylla is SUCH a special little cat, I am really glad that you decided to keep her. She looks so calm and relaxed no matter where you take her, could not imagine doing that with either of my 2 kitties!

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  48. Amazing pictures--Wylla is a pretty brave cat. I love seeing her on the beach--I don't think I've ever seen pictures of any cat on the beach before. How did she handle the sand in her fur?

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