WATCH: You Kitten Me?! Man Bikes 300 Miles From Amsterdam to London With 2 Cats
By now, we all know that world loves a good cat video. So a cat on a bike is literally enough to break the Internet.
A Dutch man pedaled his way from Amsterdam to London, accompanied by two cats riding in a specially designed “Kittymobile.”
Thomas Vles, and his two cats, Mushi and Cheesy, biked the 300 miles on a contraption modeled after the Popemobile. The unique bike features three wheels,with the front two holding up a glass case enclosing the precious cargo.
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Thomas Vles bikes with cats Mushi and Cheesy en route to Poopy Cat’s London store. (Photo: Poopy Cat)
Vles is the co-founder of a company called Poopy Cat, which produces innovative products for cats, with an emphasis on sustainability and fun. He made the ride to celebrate the opening of the company’s store in the United Kingdom, after their original plan fell through.
An artist was supposed to build creations out of their box products and playhouses, but before the event, the artist canceled. With just 10 days before the opening, the team had to get creative.
“I invited some friends over, and we sat down with a bottle of wine and started brainstorming,” Vles told Yahoo Travel. “That’s when we realized that there was no comfortable way for a cat to travel from Amsterdam to London.”
The next day, they built the Kittymobile, and the rest is viral history.
Mushi and Cheesy relaxing in the Kittymobile. (Photo: Poopy Cat)
It took Vles three days to bike 300 miles, and while he was in good shape, there were still some challenges along the way.
“The part in Holland was pretty flat and easy,” said Vles. “But the part in Essex was steep and hilly. I had to get off the bike and push it, because the brakes weren’t good enough, and it was dangerous.”
The trio also demanded attention as they pedaled into towns, turning the heads of locals and even getting some unwanted attention.
“We were attacked by a dog in Holland,” said Vles. “It wasn’t on a leash, and as we were cycling, it ran to the cage and jumped on the sides!”
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Locals stop to welcome Mushi and Cheesy to London. (Photo: Poopy Cat)
As for the cats, they aren’t your typical house felines. Mushi and Cheesy have been traveling to and from the office all of their lives (they now live at the office permanently), and Vles says that they even join him for interviews and meetings from time to time.
In other words, these cats like a little adventure, and after a while, they actually preferred to be in the glass box. “When we’d take them out for small bits, that’s when they wanted to go back in to the cage!”
For now, the Kittymobile is in storage, but it might not be there for long.
“We’ve received invites from people in Paris and Portugal to visit,” Vles said. “I think the jump to the U.S. would be hard, but you never know!”
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