FALLBROOK, Calif. (KGTV) – If you think you’ve seen it all, a North County cat named Maverick will come along.
“I called it ‘surf camp’ when I sat him on a surfboard in the pool as a kitten. He took it really well,” said his human Nick Liam.
The cat, named after the famous surfing spot in Northern California, is only 2 years old but has worked its way into an impressive array of achievements. He rides skateboards, paddleboards, swims and was most recently interested in surfing with Liam.
“I thought, ‘I’d like to get him on a surfboard,’ and the first time he had surfed was in Malibu,” Liam said.
Thanks to his unique talents, he was featured in People Magazine and has nearly 50,000 followers on Instagram. He recently starred on an episode of Cat People, a Netflix series that shows people’s unique bond with their pets.
“It was supposed to be a big trip with him surfing in Miami but then the pandemic struck and we thought the show was dead but halfway through they called and said they want more of a home approach to getting ahead of his.” Adventure, “said Liam.
And not only extreme sports are recognized as “Surf Cat Mav”. Its people are heavily involved in mental health nonprofits and use Maverick to help raise awareness.
“We’re trying to open up a dialogue and keep Maverick on the front lines and allow people to see that an emotional support animal or a therapy animal is enriching and adding so much to your life,” he added. “It’s really important because a lot of organizations focus on suicide and depression and we’re trying to remove the stigma.”
His people said that when it comes to Mav’s motto, “he is trying to destroy the perception that cats have to stay home”. They said it has worked so far, especially during the pandemic.
“It developed into this community who love to take their cats for walks. It was pretty crazy, but it’s fun.”
