Let Mimi walk

Destined

With the best intentions, Emerson went looking for a cat to adopt in 2016. The first cat she encountered on her search was Mimi, but before she could even bring a cat home, she knew she had to move. The then owners of her apartment did not allow pets in the complex. Once Emerson had moved into her new apartment and returned to the shelter, she saw that Mimi was still there. As if it was meant to be, Emerson took Mimi home.

Once home with Emerson and her new furever home, Mimi immediately started exploring, crawling into the closets, under and over furniture, and was sweet and affectionate. "That night she slept at the foot of my bed," Emerson said, who saw that as a good sign right away.

(Mon)Ster

Mimi was already called that when Emerson adopted her. However, she has since gotten a nickname: Mimi the MonStar. Because, as you can guess, Mimi can sometimes be a little Monster, but in Emerson's eyes, she is a Star!

Emerson can't stand being away from Mimi. "She means the world to me, I love her so much," says Emerson, who actually just wants to be with her cat all the time because it is comforting for her. Mimi is not the most cuddly cat, the kind that sits on your lap for hours, but she gives a short cuddle now and then when she feels like it. For Emerson, it doesn't matter; she just likes being in the same room with her. Mimi always goes on vacation and comes to the office with Emerson at least once a week, where she has been given a position as Inspiration Manager!

Let Mimi walk

In 2020, Emerson bought a house in Wright, she did the necessary homework and contacted the animal protection agency regarding the rules about letting cats outside. In many places in Australia, there are so-called “Cat containment areas,” which means that cat owners must keep their cats on their own property because it is close to a nature reserve. This protects the native fauna and also cats in these areas have a longer life expectancy because they are less likely to get injured or sick.

Emerson was told by the animal protection agency that it was allowed to let her cat outside on a leash there, so there was no reason for Emerson not to proceed with the purchase of the house. When she finally moved one year later, she found out that Mimi was not allowed outside on a leash at all and was only allowed to be kept indoors. If Emerson had known this, she would never have bought the house because Mimi loves being outside. Also, the fine Emerson risked for walking Mimi was not small; it amounts to 1600 Australian Dollars.

Emerson had to stop walking Mimi and soon noticed a change in her cat. Therefore, she decided to take Mimi to the office more often, but Mimi still became depressed and her well-being declined.

Doing nothing was not an option, Emerson had to take action, and started a petition: “Let Mimi Walk”. A few thousand flyers were printed and distributed in mailboxes around Canberra. This way, Emerson hoped to make a change for her Mimi.

In the news

The petition gathered nearly 2000 signatures in 2 months, and Emerson was interviewed by, among others, Canberra Weekly, Canberra Times and HIT104. She was featured on ABC hit radio and even reached the Dutch news! The petition's success was partly due to Mimi's strong following on Instagram.

Eventually, Chris Steel, cabinet minister, visited Emerson's home. Chris met Mimi there and... then he was convinced! Chris realized that people who walk their cats on a leash are actually trying to be responsible. That the legislation was directly opposed to this was illogical, and Emerson managed to convince Chris.

When they established the legislation in the year 2000, they probably didn't even consider that there are people like Emerson who walk their cats on a leash. As of July 1st, the law has been amended, and Emerson can finally go outside again with Mimi on a leash! The native fauna remains protected, and the new legislation also promotes responsible pet ownership. By keeping pets leashed, everyone can enjoy the outdoors while the native fauna remains protected. The health and well-being of everyone benefits from this.