Published Jul 6, 2026
Image Credit: The Cat Chronicles
Not every cat wants to be an adventure cat, but Lava sure does! She stands out from the other cats her mom has cared for by being incredibly outgoing and brave.
A lot of this is because she’s been socialized from a young age to travel and enjoy time outdoors. Today, Lava’s mom shares their story, alongside some tips on training your own adventure cat!
Finding hope again
Lava was adopted after her mom went through the devastating loss of her previous cat, who died of kidney failure at a young age.
Since she was living abroad at the time, she couldn’t adopt immediately. She waited until she was home, where she found four black kittens up for adoption at her local shelter. One of them was Lava!
Her mom’s first impression of Lava was that she was super tiny. You forget how small kittens are when you’ve had an adult cat for a while, she says.
The next thing she learned is that Lava has a huge personality!
After such a sad ending with her last cat, Lava brought a lot of joy into her life. Change can be scary, especially for a cat, but Lava doesn’t hide from new things. She faces them head-on, ready to start her next adventure.
Learning to explore
Image Credit: The Cat Chronicles
Since Lava was adopted young, it was easier to get her accustomed to travel than it would be for an adult cat. Her mom started bringing her to new places right away, and says that Lava loved it from the beginning.
She started Lava’s harness training indoors, keeping the experience positive and fun for her. Next, they got into the routine of visiting her father almost every day.
Lava began to explore outdoors, too, and soon went on her first trip to a cabin in northern Sweden. Nobody was around, which kept it from becoming overwhelming for Lava. When training cats, it’s good to take baby steps like this!
Image Credit: The Cat Chronicles
These days, her mom says that she can tell when Lava wants out because she gets hyper and starts chewing things she knows she shouldn’t, like plastic.
She feels like she has to take Lava outside each day no matter what, and even bundles her up in the winter. This steady routine has helped improve both of their moods! It’s impossible to be sad when they’re getting fresh air and spending quality time together, Lava’s mom says.
She’s also seen some really beautiful new places that she may not have visited on her own, but did for Lava.
In the end, she’s not just grateful for this wonderful cat, but to the shelter workers who save lives every day, including Lava’s. If there’s one thing we can learn from their story, it’s that shelter cats can do anything they put their minds to! If you’re looking to adopt, please don’t count them out.
