ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — People always say that cats don't like water, but we have stumbled across two 'Instagram-famous' kitties that are living their best lives, and that definitely includes time on the water.
Fisher the Maine Coon and little brother Sailor are the envy of cats across the United States, and have generated more than 200,000 loyal followers on Facebook and Instagram.
Finn Williams and Lorraine Ripp, Fisher and Sailor's humans, share videos daily of their outdoor adventures, bringing smiles to fans of the two daredevil cats.
"I needed to get a 'cog' or a cat that acts like a dog due to restrictions at my condo," said Finn.
So he began to research and discovered that the breed Maine Coon was the perfect solution. He located a breeder nearby, and fell in love with a tiny kitten who he named Fisher. He brought the breeder a harness so that Fisher would get used to wearing it before he even brought him home.
Finn said the breeder didn't want to do it at first, but then decided it was okay. By the time Fisher was ready to be brought home by Finn, he was quite used to wearing the harness. Then came water training.
Finn and Lorraine purchased a plastic 'kitty pool' and filled it with about an inch of water. They decided to try and make it fun for Fisher, so they added some electric fish. Fisher started out by just walking through the water in the kitty pool, then they began to fill it even more. When Fisher was ready, he went into the big pool while wearing his kitty life preserver flotation device.
Fisher soon was swimming really well, so he was ready for the Gulf of Mexico.
Finn and Lorraine always wash him off with fresh water as soon as he gets out, because the salt water would be bad for him to lick off.
Fisher loves being on the boat and in the water.
Last year Finn noticed a pea-sized bump on Fisher, and took him to the vet where it was discovered that he had a form of cancer. Thankfully, it was caught very early and through surgery and radiation, Fisher is now in remission.
It was during the whole health scare that Finn and Lorraine decided to get a little brother for Fisher, and Sailor joined the family.
"Fisher needed a friend to bring him some joy," said Finn. "We just want our cats to have fun, have adventures, and just be a part of our family and in on the action."
After Sailor joined the family, he began his water training and quickly became a water cat too.
"We just want our cats to be with us and not left at home while we are out having fun," said Finn.
