Stray kitten winds up being perfect travel companion for cyclist on around-the-world adventure

Dean Nicholson with Nala on his shoulder.

(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/Caters Clips)

published 3 April 2019

Dean Nicholson started his around-the-world cycling trip solo, but he's going to end it with a furry companion named Nala.

Nicholson left his home in Dunbar, Scotland, on Sept. 1, and as he neared the border of Bosnia and Montenegro three months later, he heard meowing. The tiny, hungry kitten started chasing him, and "it was obvious someone had dumped her," Nicholson wrote on his Instagram page. He picked her up, made room for her to settle in the front of his bicycle, and they've been together ever since.

 The pair have explored abandoned villas, frolicked on beaches, and even went kayaking, with Nala curled up on Nicholson's shoulder. They are now in Greece, where Nicholson will spend the summer working in Santorini. Nicholson is sharing their adventures on Instagram, while also raising awareness about plastic trash littering the environment — and, of course, the importance of pet adoption. Catherine Garcia

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.