Okay, I want to start out by saying that taking a cat to a park is not a new or novel idea, neither for us nor for the world at large. Cheryl and I have done this before a few times in a few different parks. Furthermore, no matter where we went, be it the
Great Lawn in Central Park, Fort Tryon Park at the Cloisters, or on Ransom Beach (it doesn't have a website, it's kinda lame) when we lived in Locust Valley, many people came up to us and said they had tried it too.

Next, I want to dispel a couple of myths. The first myth is that bringing a dog to a public place is the best way to meet women. No matter who you want to meet (women, men, the clinically insane), everyone within sight will stop by to talk to you when you have a cat in a park. This is how I found out so many other people had brought cats out on leashes, as everyone stopped by to tell me about their having done so or having seen someone do so.

As a control, the hip-dressed guy sporting a 'come talk to me' pose a couple of picnic tables away with a well-groomed American Staffordshire Terrier had no one stop by. And I was watching just to make sure.

The second myth that I want to dispel is that green space equals clean space. Granted the park is undergoing renovation, and three major development sites directly bordering the park probably didn't help with the dust, but the cat managed to get filthy in the first five minutes. You can't really see it in the photo above, but her little paws and nose are grubby, hence her being relegated to the picnic table.

So now comes the evaluation of why I took the cat to the park in the first place, to see if it could be any fun. To try this out, we went to Marcus Garvey Park on 120th and 5th Ave, not Central Park's Great Lawn where we normally go, as there was a chance of rain and Settepani, which has outdoor seating under a canopy, is right down the block.

In all honesty, I think Cimbi had a great time. Despite the fact that she bites Cheryl and I constantly, Cimbi really likes meeting other animals and people. Unfortunately, all but one of the other pets we saw were American Staffordshire Terriers. (Although, this may change.) The sole Dalmatian was in the company of a terrier.

There was one terrier that Cimbi wanted to play with, and he wanted to play with her too, but I was not about to let my ten pound cat play with something known for its ability to bite through a chain link fence. The owner told me he had cats at home, but I said that was okay, and maybe another day they could get together.

So what did I learn from this? Not much that I did not already know. Taking a cat to a park is best if one is looking to hang out for a while, and can put up with the attention from passers-by. The best place Cheryl and I have found to do this is Central Park's Great Lawn along the far west side, as the cat can people watch and a fence keeps it safely from the reach of passing pooches. A warm summer weekday afternoon works best, as the cat is not overwhelmed by sun or tourists.

Tomorrow, the dog.