She's coming with me to the end now
April 5, 2019 6:59 AM   Subscribe

Dean Nicholson was planning to explore the world solo by bike. Little did he expect when he crossed paths with a scruffy little companion in Montenegro that she would worm her way into his handlebar bag and his heart.
posted by drlith (31 comments total) 34 users marked this as a favorite
 
This is really sweet. What a great outcome for a homeless pet!
posted by bile and syntax at 7:51 AM on April 5, 2019


I distrust cats as any rational and reasonable human being should, but this is super heat warming - makes me think I could be down for hijinx with a super adventure cat myself.
posted by Jeremy at 7:57 AM on April 5, 2019 [3 favorites]


That cat saw a free ride and didn’t look back. The Dodo video is fantastic - what does the armpit of a burly Scot smell like after 7 hours of cycling, little kitten?
posted by janepanic at 8:13 AM on April 5, 2019 [5 favorites]


Man, he has a lovely accent and that is a good cat.
posted by ChuraChura at 8:18 AM on April 5, 2019 [2 favorites]


Out of our two cats, Arthur would do this in a heartbeat. He's the one who will climb up your pant leg until you carry him on your shoulder around the house. Mame would rather DIE than meet strangers or do anything scary. That cat has an adventurous spirit, and I'm glad it found a person to care for.
posted by xingcat at 8:28 AM on April 5, 2019 [1 favorite]


I saw this on boredpanda (I can't find the story now, sorry!) and I think what took it to the next level for me (beyond "adorable travel cat") is that he said it changed the way he thinks about his trip. Before he met Nala he had specific mileage goals per day. It's all about her now, making sure she is comfortable and having a good time. Prioritizing relationship over goal achievement.

That + kitty pics = delightful.
posted by Emmy Rae at 8:37 AM on April 5, 2019 [41 favorites]


Totally wasn't expecting this to be a cat. We have one cat who likes to go on walks (wearing a harness and leash) and her limit of comfort is the half block between our street and our alley, we walk in a rectangle and she's good. I can't imagine taking her further than that. I've put her on my shoulder (where she likes to ride) and started to walk further with her and she freaks out.

This is totally cool. I've seen travel cats with bikers and in cars before, but never heard of one on a bicycle.

It's always heartwarming when I hear about a pet animal choosing a human instead of the other way around. It somehow feels like a more honest relationship that way.
posted by hippybear at 8:46 AM on April 5, 2019 [7 favorites]


MetaFilter: The armpit of a burly Scot
posted by Gelatin at 8:46 AM on April 5, 2019 [9 favorites]


Does anyone have a surefire way of picking cats who are OK with traveling? I shuttle between two places about once a week that are a 2.5 hour drive, and if I had a cat I'd want to bring it with me. But every cat I've ever known is absolutely miserable traveling in a car. (Unlike dogs, which love it!)
posted by Nelson at 8:52 AM on April 5, 2019


I'm a bit surprised they travel so easily. I'd have thought border crossings would entail quarantine delays.
posted by zengargoyle at 9:13 AM on April 5, 2019


I like how the story" Cat not a complete asshole" is worthy of being in the newspaper.
posted by Keith Talent at 9:15 AM on April 5, 2019 [2 favorites]


I'd have thought border crossings would entail quarantine delays.

He has something called a "pet passport" for her--my guess is that it's an official notification that she's had all her relevant shots and has been declared all-clear, and I think that's why he doesn't have those issues. (He's pretty much stayed in Europe at this point so maybe that would be more of an issue overseas? Dunno.)
posted by dlugoczaj at 9:26 AM on April 5, 2019 [3 favorites]


Oh, yep. Here's info on the pet passport. Seems my surmises are pretty accurate.
posted by dlugoczaj at 9:28 AM on April 5, 2019 [4 favorites]


I found that starting kittens on drives early helped. When I went to grad school and drove home (7h) with the cats regularly, they were great with it, and even years later they are fine in the occasional car ride.
posted by jeather at 9:29 AM on April 5, 2019 [3 favorites]


I might have shed a wee tear upon reading this...
posted by WalkerWestridge at 9:40 AM on April 5, 2019 [1 favorite]


I might have shed a wee tear upon reading this...

It must be raining because my face is all wet.
posted by briank at 10:09 AM on April 5, 2019


This sounds like something I would do.

I used to have a cat that was a bike and shoulder friendly cat. I had a small backpack I'd leave open and she'd sit in it with her head poking out and arms draped over my shoulders and we'd go on rides. She'd stick her nose into the wind just like a dog, and she would often chirp/chirrup at birds the way cats do if she saw any in the road or flying around.

That cat was bonkers though and would have been a feral wildcat because I adopted her as a kitten from mostly feral parents, and she was the first one out of the box climbing things, including me.

Even after she became a stout adult, I used to be able to tap my shoulder and get her to run up my outstretched leg like a tree trunk to sit on my shoulders. I could drape her around my neck and shoulders like a fur stole and do chores or potter around the house.
posted by loquacious at 10:23 AM on April 5, 2019 [7 favorites]


(Unlike dogs, which love it!)

You haven't met my dog. The car traumatizes him.

I distrust cats as any rational and reasonable human being should

I know there's this rivalry on MeFi between cat people and dog people, but can we not with this?
posted by cooker girl at 10:44 AM on April 5, 2019 [9 favorites]


I saw this on April Fool's, just after I saw REI's cat camping gag, and that led to some discussion because we totally have a boy cat who would be down for adventures and camping, as would my husband. So they can go galivant and the two lady cats and I will do the introvert hiding/napping thing that we're so good at.
posted by librarianamy at 10:55 AM on April 5, 2019 [2 favorites]


Here is the BoredPanda article but I can't find the quote I remember. You'll just have to decide if you believe me.

Last 2 pics are my favorite.
posted by Emmy Rae at 11:00 AM on April 5, 2019


He posts lots of IG stories if you're looking for a good source of ongoing cuteness.
posted by Mavri at 11:02 AM on April 5, 2019


Here's the instagram ... but how do you see his stories, and the comments? I'm only seeing the photos. When I click the comment icon, it just shows a window for me to make a comment. (/me doesn't use instagram much. obvs)
posted by taz at 11:36 AM on April 5, 2019


Cats are the best people.
posted by evilDoug at 11:40 AM on April 5, 2019 [3 favorites]


taz - click on the photo and then the caption will be to the right!
posted by mosst at 11:41 AM on April 5, 2019 [2 favorites]


Ah, thanks, mosst! My window was too small, and that didn't show up until I re-sized!
posted by taz at 12:25 PM on April 5, 2019 [1 favorite]


Darn it I left the convertible top down in the car wash again.
posted by M-x shell at 12:43 PM on April 5, 2019



I'd have thought border crossings would entail quarantine delays.

He has something called a "pet passport" for her-


Yeah that's not going to be enough for Australia. He'll have to put her in quarantine for a few weeks and that plus the airfare is expensive. Like $5000+ if I remember right from looking this up a few years ago. Maybe he'll have to end up skipping this side of the world
posted by lollusc at 9:41 PM on April 5, 2019


When I was about 12 we lived in Montenegro for half a year. I adopted a street kitten and nursed it to health and we ended up smuggling it through Greece, Italy and to France. After a year in France we moved back to Canada and we had to leave now-yearling Žutko (Little Yellow One) to live out his days near Nice. While upsetting, I got regular postcards for the next 14 years showing how Žutko rather quickly and permanently became an immensely fat French village cat living primarily on a diet of Caprice des Dieux and fish treats.
posted by Rumple at 10:43 PM on April 5, 2019 [11 favorites]


> permanently became an immensely fat French village cat

I think you just described heaven or paradise in half a sentence, if only for cats and certainly many people. What a fate for a cat.
posted by loquacious at 5:37 AM on April 6, 2019 [3 favorites]


loquacious -- yeah -- he was days from death in a rainy cold cemetery in Kotor, and ended up dying age 14 or 15 in St Paul de Vence, probably of hardened arteries, LOL.
posted by Rumple at 12:46 PM on April 6, 2019 [2 favorites]


Yeah that's not going to be enough for Australia. He'll have to put her in quarantine for a few weeks and that plus the airfare is expensive.

Agreed, things get very strict when you want to go to rabies-free countries.
posted by HiroProtagonist at 6:31 PM on April 7, 2019


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