Border-hopping cat from British Columbia has a fan following in two countries
A certain resident of South Surrey, B.C., is making friends and fans on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border for a reason that doesn’t generally make people happy — he crosses the international boundary frequently and flagrantly, with no regard for customs officials or paperwork.
That’s because Louis — full name Louis Vuitton, like the handbag — is a grey tabby cat. Described by owner Deb Tate as “a rescue kitty” and also “extremely friendly,” Louis lives in a home on Zero Avenue. As the name suggests, Zero Avenue sits right against the 49th parallel, with nothing but a narrow drainage ditch separating it from Peace Arch Historic State Park in Washington on the other side.
And cats are good jumpers.
Tate recently told CBC’s As It Happens : “To someone who’s not familiar with the neighbourhood, it would appear to be a completely unchecked access point. But it is heavily watched. There are border guards sitting on the other edge of the park in the United States to either send people back, or ticket them, or fine them, I’m not sure what exactly the consequences are.”
None of which troubles Louis, who not only enters the United States frequently, he even engages in cross-border hunting.
“He has been known to bring home a treat or two from his adventures,” Tate told the broadcaster. “We’ve received … snakes and mice and squirrels.”
U.S. media (though fortunately not U.S. border patrols) have taken note, with an ABC News segment mentioning the cat’s returning to Canada without declaring his prey, adding: “Good food on our side, relaxing meals on the other side.”
Another segment on NBC spoke to local residents in South Surrey but noted the cat “has no interest in a TV interview.” And CTV News mentioned the cat’s “paws-port” as well as his birthday. He turns six on Canada Day.
Meanwhile, an Instagram user in Washington State with the handle @pnwdaily360 has made friends with Louis, which he pronounces in the south-of-the-border way as “Lewis.” The cat makes frequent appearances in his social media feed.
One post, titled “When Your Friend Jumps the U.S./Canada Border,” shows Louis moseying along the Canadian side before performing a spry leap over the ditch and running in for a head scratch.
In another, “Friends Across the Border,” the man filming points out “Royal Canadian Mounted Police there making sure I don’t jump the ditch,” when Louis shows up, looking for attention.
The videos have collected over 220,000 likes and more than three million views on Instagram.
National Post has reached out to Tate for further comments.
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