Lexington, Ky.—Nov. 4

 There are barn cats, and there are horse show dogs. Bug is breaking the mold—he’s a horse show cat!

The Chronicle spotted this precocious feline napping at his owner Kristin Darbee’s booth at the CP National Horse Show, wearing a leash and harness and peering out over his very snuggly-looking bed at the passersby. He’s been Darbee’s cat for the past five years.

Bug the cat watching all the people pass by! Photo by Ann Glavan 

“I was working at a horse farm at the time, and one morning I walked out and he was sitting on a horse’s butt,” Darbee said. “Somebody must have tossed him, and we had a fox on the property, and I think the fox must have chased him and he somehow ended up on a horse’s butt!”

Why the name Bug?

“I picked him up and he snuggled right into my neck, and I said ‘Oh aren’t you just a little love bug,’ ” Darbee said. “And it stuck. Though he’s sometimes a stinky bug.”

Indeed Bug was being a little stinker pulling on his leash as Darbee tried to keep him in her booth for her business, Darbee Center Energy Jewelry. Bug is an expert leash walker, and he wanted to strut his stuff around the Alltech Arena concourse and meet some people.

“When I first found him, I wanted to get him to the vet as soon as possible to get shots and what not, and I didn’t have a kennel, all I had was a leash and a harness,” Darbee said with a laugh.

Bug is always ready to greet people at Darbee’s booth. Photo by Ann Glavan 

Bug pitter-patted right on down the concourse on his leash, turning many heads—it’s not every day you see a cat walking around on a leash! A couple of girls stopped to ask about him, and Bug parked himself in front of them for pets and pictures—this cat loves his people time. Along with his leash and harness, Bug has a GPS tracking collar, which helps Darbee keep track of Bug when he wanders off on adventures meeting new people.

“I can make the tracker beep when I’m looking for him, and one time I was walking all over looking for him, and he was at a nearby bed and breakfast—he was in someone’s room,” Darbee said with a laugh.

So. Much. Sass. Bug the cat doing his cat walk. Photo by Ann Glavan

Bug is a pretty well-traveled horse show cat—he’s been to the Arabian world show in Scottsdale, Ariz., the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival in Travers City, Mich., Jump For The Children in Raleigh, N.C., and of course the CP National Horse Show in Lexington, Ky.

“This is one of his favorites. He like coming to Kentucky because we go out into the polo field and he runs around with the dogs,” Darbee said. “He loves the dogs, he’ll walk up to them and start playing and wrestling.”

Sometimes Bug gets tired of walking, so he perches on Darbee’s shoulder like a parrot.

Walks like a dog, perches like a parrot. Bug does it all! Photo by Ann Glavan

“If the tractors are going in the ring, he doesn’t like the noise, and he’ll stop and I’ll pick him up and then he’ll sit on my shoulder and we’ll walk around,” Darbee said.

If you’re at the National Horse Show, stop by and say hi to Bug—he’s definitely one cool cat! If you won’t be at the National Horse Show, you can keep up on Bug’s activities on  Instagram!    

Bug greeting some fans at the Alltech Arena- while throwing some shade at the camera. Love you too, Bug. Photo by Ann Glavan.

Want to know what happens when at the National Horse Show, and how you can watch from home? Click here! See full results and check back with the Chronicle later in the week for more from the National Horse Show, and don’t forget to check out the Nov. 24 issue of the magazine for more in-depth coverage.