COEUR d’ALENE — When Laurie Wilson goes on walks, people notice.

Not because she’s joined by Dahlia, her 10-year-old Sheltie, but because Elsie, a Norwegian forest cat, tags along.

“You’re the lady my friends have been telling me about, the woman who walks her dog and her cat,” a curious person said.

“Yes, that’s me,” Wilson answered.

During another walk with Dahlia and Elsie, a driving instructor rolled down a car window and asked, “Is that cat walking with you?”

“Oh yeah, she goes all the time,” Wilson said. 

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” the instructor responded before driving off.

Wilson is amused by the attention.

“It’s like they can’t even believe it,” she said.

Wilson is even more amused by the year-old cat she and a roommate took in when it was found homeless earlier this year.

Elsie seemed like your average friendly feline at first. She liked to hang out, sleep, venture outside a little, but mostly, she preferred the indoors. 

Then, one day when Wilson and Dahlia went for their daily walk around their Sanders Beach neighborhood, she noticed they were being followed.

By Elsie.

“I couldn’t believe she was doing that,” Wilson said. "I think she felt safe with me and Dahlia.”

Initially, they went a few blocks. Then, Wilson stretched it out to Sanders Beach, about a half-mile.

“I’m going to go further, Elsie. If you want to go, great,” she said.

The cat was game.

“She just kept coming,” Wilson said.

Most recently, the trio covered their longest distance yet, 3 miles to Tubbs Hill and back home. They even ventured onto Tubbs’ trails, including the suspension bridge on the east side. 

Not even Dahlia would cross that bridge. Elsie, a confident cat, trotted straight across.

“There’s Elsie, just going across the little bridge,” Wilson said. 

She said a few passersby did doubletakes, not sure they were really seeing a cat meandering on Tubbs, deftly keeping pace with its owner.

Surprise, amazement and disbelief are among the reactions, perhaps rivaling that of The Cat in the Hat.

"Is that your cat?” one person asked Wilson, who nodded yes. "She walks with you?”

Elsie senses when Wilson and Dahlia are getting ready to go for a walk, even waking up from catnaps so she can join them.

“She comes running down the stairs and then she’ll sit by the door,” Wilson said. 

Elsie has her own pace and style.

Generally, she stays close. But when she falls behind, she runs to catch up. When she gets ahead, she lies down and waits. 

She’s known to meander in the streets, on sidewalks, around brush, between fence posts and through yards. The bell on her collar lets Wilson keep tabs on her.

If Wilson thinks Elsie is threatened by a dog or another cat, she’ll hold her until the perceived danger has passed.

"An orange cat looked like it was ready to come after her," Wilson said. "Dogs don't seem to mind."

By the way, Elsie didn't respond at first when Wilson went for a walk Thursday, so Wilson was on her own.

When she returned home, there was Elsie, waiting just inside the door. 

"Hi Elsie," Wilson purred. "Ready for a walk?"

And they were off.

    Elsie takes the lead during a Thursday walk with Laurie Wilson in the Sanders Beach neighborhood.
  

    Elsie and Dahlia wait by the door to go for walk in their Sanders Beach neighborhood.
  

    Elsie keeps pace with Dahlia during their Thursday walk.