Meet the Tabby Cat Who is Leading a Double Life

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If you have a cat that you allow outdoors, you may often have wondered what your cat gets up to when it is away from home. You may have watched your cat playing in the garden through the windows of your home, but once your cat ventures beyond the garden fence, you probably have no idea where they are or what they are doing. While some cats are happy to explore only the immediate area surrounding their home, others are a little more adventurous. That is certainly the case for one tabby cat from Scotland who loves his freedom and enjoys gaining new experiences every day. Cole and Marmalade tells the story of a cat called George who lives with two senior humans, but loves to get outside the house for an adventure. He has even taken to traveling by public transport to explore new areas.

The local news became aware of George’s escapades and became interested in what he was getting up to on his travels. This has led to George getting his own army of fans with people wanting to learn more about the adventures of George. His owners, Dennis and Elizabeth, have explained that George used to leave home every day. However, the seven-year-old rescue cat was always home within three hours. One day, George didn’t return home at the usual time, and they began to wonder what had happened to him. On that occasion, he had hitched a ride in a car and ended up 14 miles away from his home.

Elizabeth decided to set up a Facebook page for George, which is something that many pet owners are doing these days. The page is called George the Helensburgh Cat. It wasn’t until she gave him his own social media account that Elizabeth realized just how popular George had become. It also made her more aware of everything that George was getting up to during his travels. People began to interact with the Facebook page, letting Elizabeth know everywhere that they had seen him. This included messages about his adventures along with photographs and videos that people supplied as evidence of his escapades.

Some of George’s followers let Elizabeth know that they had seen the tabby hitching rides on trains and buses. They also informed her that he was crashing children’s birthday parties, trying to tag along on school field trips, jumping into cars with people, and even turning up at the local chapel. One video, which was submitted by Amy Hills, shows George popping into the local Tesco Express. Elizabeth posted that he was just popping in for a newspaper. It seems that he was a regular in the shop.

Another set of photographs submitted show George at a local school. The students were about to head out for a planned trip to the safari park, and George quite liked the idea of participating in the trip. Although he managed to get onto the bus, he was spotted not long after it set off and chucked off the bus. Despite loving his outdoor adventures and the experience of visiting new places, George always returns home to his loving parents. He is very fond of them and shows his loyalty by returning the love they give him. The couple rescued the cat several years ago and have developed a strong bond with him.

George is particularly fond of his human dad, Dennis. When he arrives home from his day trips, he likes nothing more than to curl up on Dennis’ knee for a snuggle and a nap. Dennis often falls asleep with George on his lap. The adventures of George have attracted plenty of media attention and many have contacted his owners for more information. Metro was one media outlet that contacted Elizabeth about George’s behavior.

When asked why she thought her cat behaves in this way, Elizabeth explained that she simply thinks he has an adventurous side. She also suggested that he likes all the attention he is getting while he is on his days out. The tabby cat has become something of a local celebrity, so everyone wants to stop him to say hello and pet him. Elizabeth says that he loves people picking him up and stroking him. Mrs. Royal also confirmed that neither she nor her husband ever has any idea where George is going when he leaves home. In fact, she doesn’t know what he has been up to until people contact her after the event.

Local publication Helensburgh Advisor was also interested to find out more about George, so they interviewed Elizabeth and Dennis’ daughter, Jackie Hood. She said that her parents had adopted the cat from the rescue shelter back in 2009. They got him because Dennis suffers from dementia, and they believed that owning a cat would give him a focus in his life. They have since got a lot of pleasure from each other’s company. Hood went on to describe how George had not always been an adventurous cat. For the first few years, he was completely normal and behaved like any other cat. His first big adventure came just one year ago, and they soon became a regular thing.

People would often find George and think he was a stray or that he was lost. They would then either take him to the local vet or post on the Helensburgh Community Opinion page asking if anyone knew who he belonged to and where he lived. George clearly got a taste for freedom, as this is something that he has done ever since. Now, he extends his adventures and travels further afield. His owners never know where he will end up next or who will see him on his adventures. Elizabeth is continuing to share George’s exploits on the Facebook page, much to the delight and amusement of his followers.

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