Pedaling With A Feline: Cyclist Trolled By Dog Owners

A cyclist faces backlash for taking their cat along on biking adventures, sparking a debate on pet companionship during outdoor activities.

Davy

• Published in Animal Stories
• March 19, 2024

In a world where pet companionship knows no bounds, one cyclist found themselves at the center of a heated debate after daring to venture out on cycling escapades with their feline friend. Despite the joy of sharing outdoor adventures with their beloved cat, this cyclist became the target of online trolling, particularly from dog owners who deemed the practice unconventional and even irresponsible.

Join us as we delve into the controversy surrounding pet inclusion in outdoor activities and the clash between cat and dog enthusiasts in the realm of recreational cycling.

Travis, known for cycling with his cat Sigrid, faces backlash from boisterous dog owners. The duo gained viral fame as Travis shared their unique pedaling adventures on Instagram. Amidst personal challenges like job loss during the initial lockdown, Travis found solace and occupation in cycling alongside his beloved feline companion.

With over 149,000 Instagram followers, the eccentric duo of Travis and his goggle-wearing cat, Sigrid, have garnered quite an online following. Their cycling escapades have even led them to chance encounters with celebrities like Helena Bonham-Carter and a bemused Jeremy Clarkson.

However, amidst their growing popularity, not everyone embraces Travis and his cycling cat with the same enthusiasm.

In an exclusive interview as part of the My Colourful Life series, Travis candidly shared his experiences of being "stalked" and "trolled" alongside his social media sensation cat. He revealed that dog owners are often the main culprits behind the harassment.

Recalling a particularly unsettling encounter, Travis recounted a visit to a café in Hampstead Heath with his cat. "There was one time when we were meeting a photographer for a photoshoot and we were in Hampstead Heath in the café," he explained. "This dog walker came up with three off-leash dogs, and of course, they went nuts because she didn’t really have control of them."

Travis continued, "And she was like 'why do you have a cat here, we walk our dogs in the Heath as there are no cats, you shouldn’t have a cat'. I’m like 'you have your dogs here, why can’t I have my cat', you know."

But the criticism from dog owners doesn't stop at face-to-face encounters. Despite facing confrontations with riled-up pooch enthusiasts in parks, Travis and Sigrid find themselves unable to escape the online hate.

Travis disclosed that they frequently encounter trolling on Instagram, with the cat often being derogatorily referred to as a "rat." "Get that around my dog and my dog's getting a free meal in the form of your rat," one troll jeered.

Travis revealed that the trolls are often fellow dog owners and cyclists, adding another layer of frustration to their already challenging situation.

“We get a lot of mean and hateful comments from the anti-cyclist people and even from dog people [owners] which is quite strange," Travis candidly shared.

“We’ve had stalkers.

"I’ve blocked them then people make new accounts and then stalk us again, I’ve had to go to the police a couple of times.

“One of them is actually a cyclist who doesn’t really like what we’re doing I guess because we fall out of the norm of cycling.

"So for months, every couple weeks, he would pop up and say something nasty and he had multiple accounts.

"I would block him on Twitter and he would show up on a different account "

Despite facing trolling from dog enthusiasts and cyclists, Travis and Sigrid remain undeterred. Sigrid refuses to cower in the face of the dog-centric world and stands her ground, even attempting to assert herself in her own feline way.

"She stands up for herself, and she tries to chase dogs and attack them," Travis explained. "I think people always, no pun intended, root for the underdog."

He continued, "She's kind of the underdog herself, with a big personality in a small cat."

Davy