Rudi Saldia’s cat loves to nestle on his shoulder, so in 2013, Saldia wondered if his tabby might be able to accompany him as he navigated the Philadelphia streets on his bike to deliver packages.
He began training 1-year-old MJ (short for Mary Jane) by settling her on his shoulder as he pedaled carefully down the street where he lived.
“She was fine with it, she wasn’t too scared, so I said, OK, let’s go a little bit further,” he told The Telegraph.
Soon, those short rides turned into journeys that lasted several miles, and MJ was officially a kitty courier.
“She enjoys seeing everything and having the wind blow in her ears, especially being an indoors cat,” Saldia told The Associated Press. “This is really her only time outside. On the shoulder, she loves it. She’s in total zen mode.”
Of course, not everyone agrees that MJ should be zooming down city streets on a shoulder.
“People are worried about the cat, the safety of the cat riding in the street, and so am I. But I’m also worried about my safety so we’re always safe out there,” he said. “I’m very confident that the cat would be better off in an accident than I would be, so I’m not worried about taking her out.”
