Meet the Swindon kitten who gets taken for walks in the park

Seven-month-old Yoshi lives with Giovanna Marcarella and daughter Catalina on Groundwell Road.

She joined the family after Givoanna surprised the 11-year-old by fulfilling her dream of having a pet cat.

As their home is on a traffic-heavy main road through the town centre, Yoshikage Kira isn't allowed to roam freely outside like other cats - so the Marcarellas found another way for her to safely explore the great outdoors.

Yoshi the kitten with Catalina Marcarella (Image: Giovanna Marcarella)

Every week, they put the young feline on a lead and take her for a stroll through the Town Gardens and Queens Park, attracting a lot of attention from other visitors.

Recently, the patient pet got into the habit of hopping onto Catalina's shoulder to calmly observe the surrounding scenery from on high - and hops onto stranger's shoulders if they ask to pose for photos with her.

Giovanna said: "She's really well-behaved, calm, and friendly. Dogs will walk past her and she doesn't react at all or run away, just looks down at them.

"People see dogs on leads all the time but it's not often they see a cat being taken for a walk, they're surprised and it makes them smile.

"Children like to take photos with her, staff at the Town Gardens cafe loved her. People ask how we've trained her so well but we didn't, she just jumps on and off whenever she likes."

Yoshi the kitten goes for a walk (Image: Giovanna Marcarella)

Catalina said: "I was so excited when I got a kitten, I've asked Mum for years.

"She's quite heavy but I feel happy when she's with me, and she's become very popular."

At first, they tried letting Yoshi out in the back garden - and still do so on a nearly daily basis - then tested whether she would like doing a few laps of the secret garden in Queens Park, and now she gets carried around on her owner's shoulders.

Yoshi the kitten (Image: Giovanna Marcarella)

Giovanna added: "I worried about what would happen if she would get too excited or scared of other people and pets, but - apart from bristling a little at the first dog she saw - she's been fine.

"I think it's a nice idea, why don't more people take their cats for a walk?

"It's good for her wellbeing, she gets to feel the grass under her paws, get used to being around others, and have some fresh air."