Walking the Cat

On Friday, I heard someone use the analogy "it's like walking a cat." I said "you don't walk a cat." So what do I see in Silver Spring on Saturday? Someone trying to walk a cat. And when I say they were trying, I don't mean the cat was trying to get away or was refusing to move (as Ringer did whenever I put him on a leash). I mean the owner was forced to pick up and carry the cat because the poor thing was panting in the 100+ degree heat index temperatures (panting cats look freaky by the way. They look kind of like they're hissing except that it's silent and they don't close their mouth. They just kind of move their tongue back and forth. *shiver*). Diana will pant in these temperatures just sitting on the deck. And cats aren't really designed for long walks. They're meant to sprint short distances or sit still for extended periods of time. Even when Mark, the Great White Hunter would follow us on walks on cool days, he would pant. And meow. As if he were telling us to slow down. He'd generally give up after about a quarter mile. So, yeah, even if the cat if willing to go for a walk - not generally a good idea.