For many pet owners, travel means making arrangements, saying goodbye at the door, and counting down the days until you’re reunited. For Erin and Liebchen, it’s quite the opposite, because wherever Erin goes, Liebchen goes too.

From hiking mountain trails to exploring cities across the globe, Liebchen has become the unlikely face of a new kind of travel companion, challenging the idea that cats are meant to stay at home. What started as a way to share adventures with friends and family has grown into a full-time passion, a global community, and a powerful reminder that cats can be just as adventurous as any dog.

We caught up with Erin to learn more about how it all began, what life on the road really looks like with a cat, and the deep bond that’s grown through years of exploring side by side.

Meet Erin, Melchior & Liebchen

Erin Geldermans (American) and Melchior Leemeijer (Dutch) are based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where they share their life with Liebchen, a six-year-old rescue Maine Coon/Siberian Forest Cat mix.

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself and what inspired you to start creating content?

Erin:
[Melchior and I] met almost a year and a half ago when I moved to the Netherlands. But this happened a few years after I started Liebchen’s account. I adopted Liebchen when he was 9 weeks old on September 24, 2020. At the time, I wasn’t working because of the pandemic, and I lived in Aspen, Colorado. I had endless free time, so Liebchen and I went hiking, exploring, camping, and everywhere together in nature. I started sharing our adventures with my family and friends and decided Instagram was a great place to do it. Eventually, I created other social media presences as well. The primary inspiration was to connect with others, share with others, and follow others who are adventuring with their pets. I never imagined at the time it was going to become my full-time job, but now I can actually say I am a full-time cat lady, and I think that’s super cool.

Rethinking What Cats Can Do

Liebchen’s lifestyle challenges a common assumption—that cats are happiest staying at home. For Erin, that’s never been the case.

Q: How did Liebs become part of your content and online presence?

Erin:
He was there from the beginning, over 5 years ago. He is just so cute and vibrant with a big personality; it was so easy to share him with people. He never minded being filmed, and he was always confident and adventurous, and so curious. He just flowed seamlessly into creating content and sharing content. He also does pretty cool things… he is a cat who loves to hike, paddle board, bike, camp, ski, road trip, and everything adventurous. He will go anywhere and everywhere with me, and I think people enjoyed seeing this side of cats. So many people just assume cats want to stay at home, which is simply not true. I think most cats want to be just as involved as any other family member.

Q: What inspired you to start travelling with Liebchen?

Erin:
I was mainly inspired to travel with Liebchen because the thought of leaving him home was too much for me, plus it was hard to trust someone to take care of him well. He is always so relaxed when we travel, loves to explore new places, and meet new people, so it made sense to just take him everywhere with me. We have been to 15 countries so far and plan to visit as many as we can.

Q: What is the biggest challenge when traveling the world with a cat?

Erin:
If I am being honest, it never feels like a challenge. We love it, he loves it, and we have our flow when we travel. He fit seamlessly into my travel lifestyle. I think this is because it’s all he knows and what we’ve done since he was a kitten. He is used to this. That said, we do always have to pay attention to the laws and regulations around traveling to new countries with a cat. We have to make sure we have the right paperwork, we are up-to-date on vaccinations, medical records, etc. This can take some research, but it’s never challenging.

Life With Liebchen

Behind the travel photos is a cat with a big personality, and a daily life that’s both adventurous and surprisingly grounded.

Q: Tell us about Liebchen’s personality. What makes him special?

Erin: Liebchen is beyond friendly, curious, and outgoing. He will walk up to strangers and sit on their laps. He will walk up to dogs and rub all over them. He loves to meet people, explore new cities, walk all over them, and find a place to sit and observe. He is like our little tour guide in any new place we go.

Q: Does he have any funny quirks, habits, or routines?

Erin: Since he was a tiny kitten, he has always sat with one paw up, resting his elbow on his knee. It’s not specific left or right, but pretty much anytime he is sitting, he does this. It’s adorable, and none of us really know why he does this or where he learned it from.

He is also very vocal. You can carry on full conversations with him. He will always talk back to you and respond if you talk to him. It is so fun. I swear we have created our own special language.

Q: What’s a typical day in your life together?

Erin: We usually start every day by getting coffee somewhere in Amsterdam. He comes with me a lot. I am very into journaling and manifestation right now, so he always sits next to me while I write. He has many barista friends around town, and he loves to say hi to them as well. After coffee and journaling, I usually take him for a long morning walk in a local park. After a walk, we come home, and he has breakfast and takes a nap while I go to the gym. When I get home from working out, I usually sit down and work for a few hours on social media, answering emails, etc. He is always a part of this and always beside me. He is very clingy. We usually film content in the afternoon or go for a second walk of the day. He is pretty much always with me, and it’s the best… we’re very close and attached. :)

The Reality Behind the Scenes

While the lifestyle may look effortless, Erin is intentional about how she balances content creation with Liebchen’s well-being.

Q: What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a pet owner?

Erin:
I don’t know if I feel any challenges of pet ownership. When I adopted Liebchen, I was entirely ready to have a companion and give them everything they would need for a great life. I think one of the biggest things is knowing what is actually best for our pets. The internet and social media constantly dump information about pets and what is best for them or bad for them, and it can be hard to know what’s right. I think it’s important to trust that we know what is best for our fur babies.

Q: What’s something people don’t see behind the scenes?

Erin:
This is a very important question. I think people do not realize the amount of videos, pictures, and everything we take to get the perfect shot for content. You are only seeing a few seconds of a lot of filming. I never force Liebchen to do anything. I don’t sit him down, move him, pose him, force him… I let him do everything himself, I let him move how he wants to, go where he wants to, and actually be a cat. He is so fun to film, but I respect him and do not force anything…. so sometimes it can take a long time, but I am totally ok with this. Some days, we don’t film our lives at all. I truly enjoy spending time with him, and I do not share a lot with people, and I am not constantly filming. I try to live in the moment as much as I can and balance content creation with real-life living. I think people also don’t see how much time we allow Liebchen to rest when we travel. He is still a cat after all, so we make sure he has plenty of nap time, and travels aren’t constantly “go go go”. We really try to respect the nature of cats and what he needs, which is like… 14 hours of sleeping a day.

A Bond That Goes Both Ways

Beyond the travel and content, what stands out most is the relationship between Erin and Liebchen.

Q: Has Liebchen taught you anything unexpected?

Erin: Liebchen has taught me to be absolutely fearless, put myself first, love myself, and to be confident and not care what others think. He has completely changed my life. He has boosted my confidence in meeting new people, because I always do with him. He eases my anxiety. I have struggled with crippling anxiety most of my adult life. He is calm, peaceful, level-headed, gentle, and just so relaxed. I learn from him daily. He has truly “rescued” me… I know I say I rescued him, but truly, he has saved me.

Community & Impact

Through their content, Erin and Liebchen have built a global community of cat lovers who feel personally connected to their journey.

Q: What kind of community have you built?

Erin: We have built the absolutely most amazing, supportive, loving community of cat lovers ever. We have friends all over the world now. We have friends we talk to every single day that we have never met, but we have been friends for years now. We have friends who have followed us from the beginning and love our story, love us, and support us. It is so special.

Q: Do you use your platform to support any causes?

Erin: I do! I have always encouraged adopting and rescuing cats before buying from a breeder. There are so many amazing animals that need to be rescued that will make fantastic pets. From the beginning of our account, I have always encouraged this.

Advice & Insights

Q: What advice would you give to someone thinking about getting a pet?

Erin: Make sure you take a lot of time to understand the pet, what they truly need, and ensure you can provide food, medical care, etc., without a stress to yourself, finances, or lifestyle. Pets can live for a very long time, and they are a big commitment.

Q: For aspiring pet creators: any tips?

Erin: Yes!!! Stay very consistent, create a unique brand, showcase the special things about your pets that make them unique, and take time to build a community. Get to know other creators, support them, share their content, and make friends. I think the most important thing is to create content that is unique and different. Also, have fun! If you are doing it just to try and make money or whatever, you will burn out. It has to be fun. If it doesn’t feel fun, take a step back, take a break, and come back fresh.

Fun & Quickfire

Q: Describe Liebchen in three words: 

Curious, friendly, fearless.

Q: Who’s really in charge—you or Liebchen?

Liebchen is 100% in charge, and my entire life revolves around him.

Q: Favourite activity to do together:

Hiking, Liebchen and I love long, relaxed, and beautiful hikes away from the hustle and bustle of life.

Connect With You

Where can readers follow you and keep up with your content?

We are at @Liebchen.Travels on all social media platforms.