PHOTO: @LIEBCHEN.TRAVELS
When Erin Geldermans rescued Liebchen as a kitten in September 2020, she decided they’d jump feet first into adventures together.
“He was so energetic and active, so I just started taking him everywhere, from biking and camping to road trips and hikes,” she says. “He took right to the harness and leash.”
Two years later he has accumulated an Instagram following of nearly 180,000 and too many journeys to count at @liebchen.travels.
“It’s been amazing — he’s a little best friend who literally goes everywhere, and he’s just so laid-back with it all,” says Geldermans, 31, who often dresses the domestic shorthair in colorful gear and protective goggles. “He loves meeting strangers — he’ll just go up to people and sit on their laps.”
@LIEBCHEN.TRAVELS
Geldermans started posing pics of Liebchen — named for her mother’s cat of the same name and meaning “sweetheart” in German — early in their time together, but as he started gaining a following, “I figured I’d keep posting,” she shares. “It snowballed out of nowhere, and now it’s made us friends all over the world.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Next up for the pair, a spring trip to Europe to meet some of the friends and cat lovers they’ve connected with online, with Alaska and an ocean jaunt in California or Florida on the bucket list too.
“There is nothing he really doesn’t like, so I’ve kept going and going,” Geldermans says. “It’s been so fun.”
source:people.com