Cyclist Explores The Streets Of London With His Adorable Feline Sidekick
When Travis Nelson was made redundant from his software engineering job last year, he opted to embark on a new adventure. The 45-year-old from San Francisco decided to explore London on his bicycle.
But Travis wasn't going on this adventure alone. His four-year-old Norwegian Forest cat, Sigrid, was going too!
The cute pair rides around central London on Travis's bike about three times a week, with Sigrid in the front basket. Naturally, the duo attracts lots of attention!
Of course, we wouldn't have a story to tell if there were no pictures to prove it. Thankfully, there are quite a few!
Travis often films his adventures with Sigrid and shares their photos on social media. In fact, the lovable duo has more than 45k followers on Instagram!
"At the end of the day, my only real purpose is having fun," says Travis. "I've been really happy about the reactions in our local neighborhood."
"Our local pub, The Sir Richard Steele in Belize, knows us well, and we're often down there for the pub quiz," Travis said. "Sigi has a favorite chair and a favorite plant to chew on, and she is well known at Chamomile Cafe, where we pop in for coffee some mornings."
As well as exploring lots of exciting places in London, Travis has also taken Sigrid to parties and protests.
Travis says that Sigrid has become so popular that some followers have even requested merchandise. They have also offered to make donations for Sigi.
"Unfortunately, I need to keep my address private," Travis says. "I've received a startling number of threats of violence—some people really hate cyclists... or cats."
But for the most part, Travis says people are kind. "Everyone is always quite surprised and happy to see Sigrid on the bike, and it's just a non-stop trail of people waving, smiling, and shouting, 'Hey, there's a cat!'"
"It sounds a little strange, but it's as if you're spreading joy," Travis said.
"Sigrid likes it a lot. She always seems to love going outside; she'll stand at the door and whine."
Sigrid, who is hearing impaired, is trained to use a lead and will sometimes join Travis for a walk.
Travis puts a lot of effort into managing his social media. He sometimes spends up to four hours a day editing footage of his adventures with Sigrid.
You can watch Travis and Sigrid riding around London below.
The adorable pair are easy to spot when they're out and about. Their bike has 'Travis and Sigrid' written on the wheels!
Sigrid's favorite thing to do is chase squirrels and pigeons when Travis lets her out of the basket to play in the park.
She will happily meow to let Travis know when she wants to jump out and stretch her legs.
Sigi has become very popular with the locals!
It seems that everyone loves Sigi (and Travis)!
The pair have a large following on Instagram, and their fans love every minute of Travis and Sigrid's adventures. "I could watch this all day," one user commented.
"If someone asked me what the best thing about Instagram is, the answer would be stuff like this," another fan said. "It's so special the amount of joy she must bring to people in little ways each day."
Keep up the excellent work, Travis and Sigi! We can't wait to see more of your adventures!
Share this article:
