Here, kittty, kitty

Posted by Andrew Hartsock November 26, 2012 at 1:21 a.m.

The other day, I was driving somewhere with the family and pointed out to my kids a fellow road-user.

A man riding a scooter had caught my eye. He had strapped to his chest what appeared to be either a backward backpack or a baby carrier. Inside said satchel was a small dog.

The kids laughed, and we went on our merry way, but it made me think about the possibility of traveling by bike with the family pet.

I’m not sure when I ever have been or will be in a situation where I have to take ours out for a spin, but I suppose it could happen.

On a couple of occasions, I took my (wife’s) cat for a ride in the car to pick up my son after elementary school. Mr. Kitty (not his real name; it has been changed to protect his sense of haughty, self-righteous aloofness) was a big hit with the preteen set. The kids’ faces lit up when Mr. Meowers pressed his little wet nose to the window as we drove past.

But after a couple of uneventful (for me) trips, Whiskers developed a bit of a sensitive stomach. The next couple of rides were punctuated by the putrid stench of cat puke.

Kitty doesn’t get to ride in the car anymore.

I can’t imagine he’d dig a bike ride more than his car trips.

I sure as heck wouldn’t tote him around in a chest pack. Dude would freak and disembowel me before I made it off the driveway.

I suppose I could wear him like a little kitty ascot — an ascat? — but no way would I want those talons anywhere near my jugular.

To the ’Net I went.

Sure enough, a couple of places market ways to take small pets along for a ride.

Most appear to be variations of the typical Toto basket: a front, open basket to hold a small, well behaved dog.

No way my (wife’s) cat would stand for that.

I did find, however, a couple of covered totes that attach to the handlebars and claim to be the perfect way to haul a cat or small dog on two wheels.

Best of all, they seem to be made of easy-to-clean vinyl. If Cat Masterson can’t stomach a ride in a four-wheeled cage, I can’t imagine he’d be able to contain his Meow Mix while dangling off the front of my bike.