The Beach, Pip When Cat appeared on a doorstep in Berlin, Maryland in September 2018, he was a young, ailing kitten seeking to exchange the comforts of his savage family for a human home. He came just after a thunderstorm, maybe hinting at his bravery around water, which cats are renowned for disliking.
In Berlin, Pip had found a grandmother who was house-sitting for her family, and she began feeding the tiny kitten. Unfortunately, her family could not take him in when they returned and the elderly woman was moving, so Laura Meadows — a high school student and friend of the family — volunteered to take him despite the fact she had not discussed it with her family. When Meadows’ family declined to let her keep Pip, Laura’s older sister Emily Meadows and her husband offered to take him for a while.
“My sister begged me to take him and we were just watching him, assuming we would take him to the humane society,” Emily Meadows told The Dodo. “But then the humane society was full and we had to keep him, so that’s how it all started.”
It wasn’t long before Meadows saw just how unique and special Pip was, but her first task was to get him healthy. He was described as being “very, very unclean,” and his eyes were almost closed from swelling. Because he never turned to face Meadows or her husband when they called his name or made noises, it was even assumed that he was deaf. According to Meadows, a thorough ear cleaning at the veterinarian disproved that and he is now able to hear everything.
Once Pip was feeling healthy, he turned out to be quite the energetic little troublemaker. He spent his days climbing window screens, knocking over water glasses and anything else that wasn’t nailed down, scattering food all over the floor and terrorizing his new cat siblings Natty and Mowgli. He especially enjoyed waking them up by jumping on their heads.
“It was Pip’s world,” Meadows said. “We were just living in it.”
Meadows and her husband were at their wit’s end about Pip’s predilection for using houseplants as his litter box, so they made the unusual decision to try something. The home required a rest, Meadows said. Without a doubt, Natty and Mowgli needed a rest. We then had the thought, “Why don’t we take Pip for a stroll outside?”
Meadows and her husband live in Ocean City, Maryland, so they decided to put Pip on a leash and take him out to the beach to see if getting back to his outdoor roots would help disperse some of his energy. As it turned out, Pip was a big fan!
Pip rapidly shown a preference for digging in the sand, racing about, chasing seagull feathers, playing with toys and shells, hiding under beach chairs, and eventually taking naps in the sun with his owners. He looked to be in his element, and he started going to the beach frequently with Meadows and her husband.
One day, when the tide was low and the waves were calm, Meadows allowed Pip to explore the water. “It didn’t bother him at all,” Meadows said.
Pip was so fascinated by the water that Meadows tried putting him on a boogie board. “He caught a little wave and stayed on the board,” Meadows said. “When the board hit the shore, he hopped off and just walked along the beach like everything was normal. That’s when we knew that Pip was a very special cat.”
He even turned out to be a strong swimmer who enjoyed splashing around in the shallows.
Pip’s antics gained him a lot of attention from a growing number of fans. After repeated excursions to the beach, Pip began to be filmed and taken pictures by locals and visitors, according to Meadows. Someone showed a video to the local news station and Meadows was contacted about a story on Pip.
Pip had to sneak by the beach guard since the attention underlined the fact that dogs are not allowed on the beach in Ocean City during the summer. But whenever they walked by, he was always a good sport about hiding in the sand.
Luckily, the beach wasn’t the only place in Pip’s hometown for him to explore. There were local attractions, a boardwalk, an arcade, pet-friendly pubs and restaurants, and special events.
“There was a huge outpouring of support from the local community when Pip wasn’t going to be allowed at certain fundraisers/events, so we had lots of businesses welcome Pip with open arms and say he is allowed on their ‘private properties’ on the boardwalk anytime he wants,” Meadows said.
Meadows found several pet-friendly beaches and areas to let Pip continue his love of exploring while still respecting the laws, and he stays active with off-season activities such as paddleboarding …
He has even taken a few trips to places like Savannah, Georgia, and New York City.
Pip frequently reads to children and volunteers at nearby nursing homes.
In fact, Pip recently “wrote” and published a book of his very own about all the places he likes to explore in his hometown and the adventures he has.
“When someone filmed [Pip] on the beach and sent it to the news, that’s when we thought, ‘Well, it’s great to have a famous cat, but I would like to do some good for the community,’” Meadows said. “That’s how The Little Pip Project was born, as well as Pip’s weekly volunteer and outreach to various organizations like nursing homes, developmental centers and schools.”
Perhaps most crucially, Pip helped Meadows in overcoming some of her own challenges, including phobias of blood, IVs, hospitals, and nursing homes brought on by a tragedy she had as a youngster. Meadows admitted, “I never in a million years thought that I would conquer this phobia.
“Having Pip with me while volunteering in those places really helped, and now I can take a step back and see how seriously helpful animals are when it comes to emotional support.
At the end of the day, Pip has changed my life and helped me emotionally as much as he has changed everyone else’s — I’ve never felt more stable from a mental health perspective than I have since working with Pip on a daily basis and having him go with me everywhere,” Meadows added.
Even while it may seem like a lot of action for only one cat, Pip actually requires a lot of movement to keep himself out of trouble. He simply wanted to try new things, which Meadows claimed greatly contributed to his calming down at home. He enjoys studying as well; clicker training was quite beneficial.
