The 7-year-old Burmese has developed a taste for pedal power, riding along perched in the front basket of Dunedin woman Jan Murch’s mountain bike. Over the weekend, she took part in a 35km ride on the Taieri Plain with the AOK Wanderers group, with Mac in his favourite position.
However, Ms Murch told the Otago Daily Times the weekend trip was not the longest the pair had taken together.
They had been riding together for over a year, and now went out at least once a week, including one memorable jaunt from St Kilda all the way to Taieri Beach, she said.
Ms Murch had even bought Mac a harness and seat belt for his protection, although Mac was "happiest in the basket" and not at risk of suddenly jumping out, she said.
She had the idea to take Mac on her bike with her after watching the film A Street Cat Named Bob, and kept taking him after seeing how much he loved his first trip.
Mac now jumped up, bugging her to take him for a ride and it was completely "Mac’s choice to come with me," she said.
The unlikely pair met 18 months ago when Ms Murch’s daughter found the stray cat hanging around her flat and brought him home.
Ms Murch, who confessed she did not like cats until then, "knew there was something special" about Mac and fell in love with him.
She has always wanted her daughter to ride a bike with her and bought a basket to go on another bike, just in case.
"I’m hoping now she will start riding Mac around too."
- Kayla Hodge
