Who said that dogs are man's best friend? Okay, we did. But evidently, so are cats. This particular kitten went from fighting for his life on the streets to travelling the world with his new owner.
In 2018, Dean Nicolson from Scotland embarked upon a round-the-world cycling adventure. About three months into his journey, somewhere in the mountains between Bosnia and Montenegro, he'd stopped for a break when he heard something.
"I'm cycling around the world and suddenly I hear meowing coming from behind me," said Dean in a video published by The Dodo. It was a tiny kitten who looked to have been abandoned.
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At first, Dean didn't plan on adopting her and set out to look for a rescue centre to take her to. He cleared some space in his bag, put Nala in it and started pedalling.
But Nala decided the view from his bag just wasn't good enough, so she climbed out and sat on top of Dean's shoulder as he rode. This was the first sign that Nala was meant to find Dean for a reason.
It soon became clear to Dean that this kitten shared his sense of adventure. He continued to ride his bike with Nala sitting on his shoulder, wind in her whiskers, taking in the views.
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They soon became inseparable, so Dean got Nala a passport and a microchip so she could carry on travelling with him as he crossed the borders.
Over time, little Nala became fully grown, still able to perch on his shoulder though.
"Spending all this time with her, I just basically fell in love with her character. She's just a brilliant cat" he said.
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Nala clearly has the travel bug like her owner and isn't intimidated by new sights and sounds. "You would think cycling through a city would scare her," explained Dean. "But no!" he said as Nala can be seen perched on his shoulder, enjoying the views.
"Everything I do, I've got to do with her," he said of his new travel buddy. "It makes the journey more exciting as well, travelling around the world with a cat."
Finding Nala changed Dean's perspective on his journey too. At first, he wanted to "just get across the world," but once he met Nala, he wasn't so bothered about how long it took. He loved watching her enjoy it.
About a year into their travels, having made their way across Eastern Europe, Dean broke his ankle and had to stop for a bit. He decided to rent a minivan and drive home to Scotland to visit his family and introduce the to his new travel buddy.
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Dean and Nala continue to travel the world together. At the time of this article's publication, Dean and Nala are in Croatia and updating their 980,000 followers on Instagram with regular photos and vlogs.
Dean even wrote a book about finding Nala and travelling the world with her. Nala's World, which was published in September 2020, is a Sunday Times bestseller and continues to be a bestseller on Amazon a year on.
This cat has definitely got the cream, as the saying goes.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@1bike1worldTopics: no article matching, travel, Cute Pets, Cats