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During travel, one explores many interesting things. You see things, enjoy, and then move on. However, it does not remain the same when a little fur ball meows at you. The same thing happened with this traveler from Scotland during his cyclic journey across the globe. The heart-touching story of Dean the cyclist meeting Nala the cat became instantly popular on internet and their Instagram page is about to hit a million followers very soon. Currently, around 968,000 people are actively following the journey of this dynamic duo. Dean also wrote a book telling the amazing story of him and Nala which is definitely fetching to their fans.
Dean Nicholson loves to travel on his cycle. He found Nala at the roadside during his travel. The poor kitty was abandoned and was meowing for help. Dean couldn’t ignore her cute pleas and took her on his cycle.
Dean shared the amazing story of meeting with the cat to UNILAD and said, “I heard her before I saw her! I was cycling up the hill and she was meowing her little heart out in pursuit of me, but I stopped the bike, jumped up and went over to the rocks and said, ‘Oh, there’s a scruffy little kitten all alone. I sat with her for about half an hour, feeding her pesto before I decided to take her on the bike with me. She followed me and it was unfair to leave her,”
People love seeing both of them together wherever they go and are amazed by the bond that both of them share. And it is understandable because how many times do we get to see a man traveling on his cycle with a cat in a basket up front, right? Dean and Nala receive immense love from public in all the places they visit. As told by Dean, “People absolutely love her and she loves the attention. Everyone stops to come and take pictures and meet her. It’s great when I visit a new place because people instantly have a friendly, warm reaction. Most of the hotels we’ve been to are really accommodating to Nala, even though she once had to pay her own surcharge.”
They have traveled many countries so far such as Turkey, Greece, Albania, Georgia and Montenegro.
Nala also liked Dean at once. She was not leaving his side when he found her as Dean told, “I mean, I would say it [the bond] was instant because she just didn’t leave my side as soon as I pulled over. When I gave her the pesto and she wouldn’t stop following me, so I thought ‘I’d better take you with me’. Then when I put her on the bike and started cycling she jumped out the pouch on the front of my bike and up onto my shoulder. She then nuzzled into my neck and then I thought it was meant to be.”
Nala had a great influence on Dean’s travel temperament too. Traveling with her made him more interested in enjoying his journeys rather than covering long distances. He said, “Before I found Nala, I was just darting from city to city getting through Europe as quick as possible so I could get to east Asia. When I found Nala she had a little cough – this probably wasn’t helped by cycling through harsh wind and rain. She taught me to take things slower, enjoy the experience and what was around me. I have always helped strays but she has taught me to be even more giving and compassionate.”
Nala often climbs at Dean’s shoulder when he is cycling, other times she is all comfortable in her basket while travelling. She enjoys being in her comfy basket and exploring the world with her own eyes. In Nala, Dean has found an amazing companion for his long road journeys and he enjoys his travel time more than he ever did before.
Photo credit: 1bike1world
Photo credit: 1bike1world
Dean is also working to collect donations for stray cats through his social media platform. He started off by collecting donations for Nala. Later on, he extended his work to help other stray animals too. He has been able to collect thousands for many charities, trusts and animal care centers. Well done!
Photo credit: 1bike1world
He is also careful of the health conditions of her adopted cat as they get to travel in all sort of harsh weather conditions which makes it quite difficult for her. “Now that the borders are starting to open up after COVID we will explore more of Europe. After that I am undecided whether to travel to the US or stick to the original plan of getting to Asia. But every decision about where we travel always centres around ensuring there is no impact on Nala’s health or happiness.” Dean told.
After reading this wholesome story of Dean and Nala, I’m sure all of us now want to travel with our adorable meow. We wish all the best to this amazing duo and pray that they get to visit the whole world while enjoying and having fun together.
How did you find this interesting story of a cyclist and a cat? Which part of their journey are you inspired by the most? Would you also want to visit the whole world with your cat? Share with us in the comments section as we love to hear from our readers.
