A YouTuber who has traveled the world wants cat parents to “do more and better with their cats.”
He took his “brave” and “curious” feline to places like Mexico, Arizona, Greece and the Pyrenees.
Albert Colominas, 35, who currently lives in New York, USA, has taken his two-year-old Bengal cat, Mia, on adventures around the world – traveling by plane, boat and car.
Barcelona’s senior brand manager taught Mia tricks, such as sitting down, turning around, waiting for food and jumping over his shoulder or through his arms.
Albert wants to help people “enrich the lives of their cats” and teaches owners how to communicate better with their pets on his social media.
He said: “It’s about helping people understand their cat’s raw nature and helping people give the freedom that cats enjoy, without pushing them too hard.”
Albert grew up always wanting a cat but not being allowed to – he is also allergic to it. When the pandemic hit, however, he decided it was finally time.
“I moved to the United States; my life was a big mess. My dad passed away, my girlfriend dumped me, there was a lot of work to do, then Covid hit. I was everywhere,” he recalls.
“I was living in a small apartment near Manhattan, and I thought I was headed for a downward spiral and I had to do something about it, so I decided to get a cat.”
After visiting an allergist, Albert learned that Bengal cat breeds are hypoallergenic.
He contacted a breeder and, six weeks later, got his beloved cat Mia back, which he named after Mia Wallace, a fictional character played by actress Uma Thurman in the popular Pulp Fiction movie. Quentin Tarantino in 1994.
They have a strong bond and started venturing outside once coronavirus restrictions eased in the summer of 2020.
Describing her first walk, Albert said: “I could see her cock was up (and) she smelled everything.
“I thought she really liked it, and little by little I started pushing her limits and seeing how far we could go.”
“One day I saw myself taking a road trip with her around Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico.
“Then we moved together to the Virgin Islands, and I walked her there, and it proved that she loved the outdoors, that she could walk with me on a leash, and that we could go almost anywhere. .”
Albert then started a YouTube channel, Albert & Mia, the Adventure Bengal Cat, to show off what they do – and he also designed his own cat harness.
He explained: “It’s not like I’m trying to train a circus cat. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, but I’m not just asking her to do all those cute things for fun.
“What I’ve realized is that when I train her, she learns to pay attention to what I’m saying, and I learn to read her cues…so I think the training is going well at beyond the trick you teach them.
“It’s more about your ability to understand them and communicate with them.”
Albert said if people want to go on adventures with their cats or teach them tricks, a slow and steady approach is key.
“When I started dating Mia, I thought, I’m taking her out on a leash because I want her to like being outdoors, I want her to be okay with being outdoors,” did he declare.
“So because it was about her and not me, I started out really slow and gave her as much freedom or as much challenge as she was willing to take on.”
Before venturing out into the world, a cat must be comfortable around people, dogs and children, and in a variety of situations.
“When all of this happens, you can take them to an airport and they won’t freak out,” Albert added.
“They were exposed to all of that separately, and then when you combine it, it’s just a bunch of stimuli that they’re already used to.”
He plans to continue taking Mia on her travels around the world, proving that cat lovers can take their pets on adventures just like dogs.
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