Couple Trains Cats to Be Adventurous. Now They Make Yearly Trips Abroad to See the Sights (Exclusive)
Instagram-famous felines Sponge Cake, Mocha and Donut have flown to Paris, London, Italy and more European destinations with their owners
Three cats have flown throughout the United States and Europe with their owners, taking photos and videos by iconic landmarks around the world
Their Instagram account has 989,000 followers and several viral videos of their adventures with millions of likes
The cats’ owners, N.Y.C.-based couple Olivia and Dan Nguyen, offer tips and advice for traveling with pets
While most pet cats are curled up at home, these fluffy felines are jet-setting around the world.
Meet Sponge Cake, Mocha and Donut, a trio of 3-year-old cats who travel around the country and abroad with their owners Olivia and Dan Nguyen.
Over the past couple of years, the New York City-based couple has documented their pet-friendly vacations on social media and captured hearts across the internet with hundreds of viral posts.
The “dessert trio” — as the cats have come to be called for their sweet treat-inspired names — often pile into a pet carrier backpack to go sightseeing, much to the amusement of their online followers. Other times, the Nguyens dress Sponge Cake, Mocha and Donut in outfits to match their location — they posed in Paris wearing berets and striped sweaters.
In December, the Scottish Fold and two British Shorthairs celebrated two years of travels with an Instagram Reel compiling clips of them riding in their backpack around iconic destinations. The video — which has over 2 million likes — featured the cats passing by the Eiffel Tower, seeing Amsterdam, riding on a gondola in Venice, Italy, and pawing around London.
The Nguyens answered some frequently asked questions in their caption, explaining the types of paperwork necessary for international pet travel — a USDA-endorsed health certificate or an EU passport — and how they manage to fly with all three cats. They added that different countries and airlines have different requirements and emphasized the importance of research beforehand.
Olivia Nguyen tells PEOPLE that she and her husband have to do plenty of preparation before venturing abroad with their four-legged family members.
Beyond acquiring all the right documentation and booking an extra ticket on flights, the couple needs to make sure Sponge Cake, Mocha and Donut will be welcome at their destination spot.
That means finding a city with pet-friendly hotel accommodations, restaurants and activities. In their extensive travels, the Nguyens have determined that Paris has it all.
“Paris has been our favorite place to go with the cats. We try to go with them every year,” says Olivia, who works in finance when she’s not globetrotting with her brood. “Paris is pet-friendly, and it simply has a lot of charm to offer.”
In the comments on their videos, viewers consistently marvel at how well-behaved and relaxed the dessert trio seems as they explore beyond their home in Manhattan.
“This is literally my aspiration. How do you keep them from getting startled by everything? Just conditioning? You rock,” one Instagram user wrote under their two years of travel Reel.
“How are they so chill,” another commenter wondered.
Olivia says that she and Dan, who works as a lawyer, started their cats off with mini adventures around Central Park and various parts of New York City.
“The training process involved a good amount of positive reinforcement such as treats and gentle petting,” Olivia explains to PEOPLE. “I think the foundation of the training was actually building trust with the kitties that started at home from day one. When we travel, we continue to give them treats and gentle petting to make them feel safe and comfortable.”
As they continue to chronicle their vacations online, the Nguyens hope others will follow their lead as pet owners.
“We are grateful for all of the kind words and encouragement from the online community,” Olivia says. “I hope that our story will encourage people to travel [and] go outside with their cats as they know this is possible.”
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