No scaredy cats here! Chehalis kitties hit the sled hill, hiking trails

CHEHALIS, Wash. -- Turns out the coolest cats in town are just that.

Cats.

Meet Weston and Ellinore. These six-month old Chehalis cats have a taste for adventure. Not afraid to jump in the snow or lead the way on a hike, they recently rose to fame when a video of Weston sledding with his owner Jesse Smith garnered more than 2 million views on YouTube.



Smith, a professional photographer, told Q13 News that unlike some housecats, Ellinore and Weston have no problem being adventuresome. When he and his wife Ashley got them as kittens last year, the couple had them out and about right away.

"When we first got them we knew we wanted to take them out," Smith said. "We had them socializing with anything and anybody."

Smith said the kittens took to adventures quickly, and the couple soon took the cats on hikes. While it took a minute to grow comfortable in the forest, the cats seemed to fall in love with the hikes. Always harnessed, Smith said Ellinore and Weston often lead the way.

"There's typically a warm up period when we take them out," Smith said. "But they're really good. They just lead and we follow."



The cats are always in sight on the trails. And Smith and his wife are quick to pick them up when a dog or other people are coming their way.

"If one of us sees the dog, we let the other one know," Smith said. "One of us is always close to each of the kittens."

Since hiking was such a success, the Smiths decided to take the kittens sledding. Weston took a real charm to it, Smith said, though there was frequent trips back to the car for warm-ups and snacks.

Bringing cats out on adventures has increased in popularity recently. The website adventurecats.org has cat adventure starter guides, backcountry basics and stories such as "Man and His Cat Explore Australia in a Van." The website even sells gear to wanderlust cat owners looking to take their feline friends on trips.

For more on Weston and Ellinore and to keep up with their adventures, visit their Facebook page.