New Delhi: Sanu is used to people taking pictures of him when he’s out riding his bike. A video of him returning from work went viral on Instagram last month. But Sanu wasn’t the main attraction — it was his co-riders, Sulochana and Raghavan, two Persian cats who go everywhere with him.
“When the video came out, lots of people said that I do this for attention, but I didn’t take the video or post it. This is my daily commute,” he says. It was posted by two public accounts @foreverbengaluru and @mycitybengaluru.
The 27-year-old Bengaluru resident, who works as an offline marketing lead for Cap Life, a sports academy has had the two cats for a little over nine months, but now, the trio has become inseparable. He’s known around his neighbourhood as the billi man.
Sanu bought a two-month-old Sulochana in January 2022. He didn’t want to leave her alone at home when he went to work, so his friend would ride pillion and hold the cat in his arms. Raghavan was one month old when Sanu adopted him.
“Slowly, Sulochana got used to the bike ride, and now she’s happiest sitting on my shoulders,” Sanu says. He got Raghavan six months later in June. Sanu first got him used to the outdoors by taking him on walks. “Once Raghavan bonded with Sulochana and saw she was comfortable on the bike, he had no problems. In fact, as soon as he’s on the bike he looks out for her,” he says. Sulochana rests like a feather boa on Sanu’s bag while the grey and white Raghavan prefers to sit on the tank, taking in the front view of the road.
He bought another kitten last week. “I’m getting her used to the commute as well. I’ve taken her out on the bike twice,” Sanu says.
Found this guy in ORR today! @peakbengaluru pic.twitter.com/BIDtBTFRdx
— Aarun Gowda (@alwAYzgAMe420) January 14, 2023
Abuse? Cruelty? Stunt?
While some took the viral Instagram video in a tongue-in-cheek way, others highlighted concerns. Many hurled insults at Sanu and accused him of endangering not just his life but also of other riders and drivers.
Most of the comments said that if he really loved his cats, he would not be doing this. One user, whose bio mentions “cat parent, rescuer, and fosterer”, said that the cats’ heart rate must have shot up during the ride. Many others called Sanu an “idiot”.
A veterinarian claimed in the comments that he had run a routine check-up on Sulochana and Raghavan, adding that he had “never seen such obedient cats”.
Many others called it a stunt to gain likes, but Sanu handles all criticism with grace. He commented saying that he respects both positive and negative comments and that the video was taken without his consent.
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Like a baby on a bike
Sanu has started receiving complaint calls. People reach out to his friends with compliments, get his number, and then call and berate him. One such call was from a lawyer who threatened to put him behind bars.
“I’m sure everyone who has travelled in India has seen couples on bikes carrying babies and toddlers in their arms. To me, this is no different. The same people who have no problem with the first thing are offended by this,” Sanu says.
He adds that many of those who are commenting on social media or calling him don’t even have cats or know anything about their behaviour.
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“We have seen a lot of videos like these where dogs and cats have been trained to (ride pillion on bikes). Some seem absolutely comfortable with their pet parents. However, whether it is right or not is grey,” says Sanjana Madappa, trustee of Second Chance Sanctuary India, an animal shelter organisation in Bengaluru.
Commenters on the Instagram video also tagged Madappa’s organisation and other animal shelters in the city, asking for their intervention in what they termed as “animal abuse”. But Madappa says that although the practice may not be safe, it is definitely not abuse.
She cautions people against doing it nonetheless. “There are too many variables that are not in our control,” she says, explaining that if something spooks the animals or even if there is even a small accident, there is a huge risk of the animal running away or being injured in traffic.
But Sanu is confident in his cats’ abilities. “I didn’t take them out on the open road until I was 100 per cent sure,” he says. Sulochana and Raghavan have not had a single accident or untoward incident yet.
Many on Instagram and Twitter even tagged Bangalore City Police and asked them to take action. But the police have seen Sanu on the road with his cats and interacted with him many times. They’re always happy to see him and have even asked him to adopt any kitten or two they might have. “When they flag me at checkpoints, they often get so preoccupied playing with the cats that they forget about the check,” Sanu laughs.
Cats love the thrill
Sanu built up their comfort by initially taking them on short rides in the lane outside his apartment. Now he confidently takes his cats to his office and says that any place he chooses to work at in the future will have to be pet-friendly. The longest distance the trio has travelled is 30 km to Nagasandra, although Sanu once took Sulochana to Manali on his bike. “I had just gotten Sulochana and could not leave her. She was not trained enough to ride the way she does now, so I took her in a [cat] carrier,” he says.
Sanu is often asked why he doesn’t use a cat carrier regularly. While he has considered his options, he says that his cats are more comfortable with the current arrangements. They seem to like the “thrill of the ride”. The freedom to ride in the open also means that when they’re tired and want a nap, they can easily get to their favourite place — Sanu’s lap.
He carries their food, water, and all other necessities in his backpack. What about their need to relieve themselves? “Sulochana gets up from my shoulders and makes her way to the tank and looks directly at me. That’s my cue to stop the bike and take her to do her business,” Sanu says, adding that Raghavan gently lifts himself up as a cue.
Sulochana and Raghavan have brought many people into Sanu’s life. People have come up to him on the roads to interact with the cats and ended up staying in touch. Aswathy Unnikrishnan, a parent to seven cats, is one of them. She met Sanu before the video went viral. “The cats are well-trained, socialised and didn’t show any sign of stress,” she says.
(Edited by Humra Laeeq)