He set out to run 8,000 miles from Beijing to London. Then an abandoned kitten gave him a new mission
Tommy and Cece (Jarvis' team) helped 'Gobi' settle in 'with some water and some mashed eggs, which she absolutely loved.'
Jack Jarvis (@jackjarvisfit) originally planned to cross the Gobi Desert on his 8,000-mile run from Beijing to London. But on Day 57 of his run, he stumbled across a kitten abandoned in the middle of the Gobi Desert. The kitten was probably four to six weeks old, but Jarvis couldn't leave it behind. He introduced it to his team, who quickly fell in love with "Gobi." Six days later, Jarvis and his team ended up with a new and surprising mission. The October 6, 2026, post went viral and racked up 1.6 million views, more than 254,000 likes, and 3,479 comments.
Stevie or Gobi
Tommy and Cece (Jarvis' team) helped "Gobi" settle in "with some water and some mashed eggs, which she absolutely loved." Before deciding on the name "Gobi," Jarvis wanted to call her Stevie, after Stevie Gerrard.
The next day, Jarvis updated his followers and revealed he couldn't bring Gobi with him to Kazakhstan since she was just four to six weeks old. She had to be 12 weeks old to get her rabies shot. After the shot, they'd have to wait 90 days for a rabies test. Only after she clears the test will the Chinese government allow her to cross borders and fly. But time was not on Jarvis' side; his Visa wouldn't allow him to stay that long. The alternative plan was to pay $266 to a cat rescue center to keep Gobi until she's adopted.
Crossing borders
Viewers weren't happy with Jarvis plan, and six days after he found Gobi, he had a change of heart. After several silly suggestions from netizens and "lots of deliberation," Jarvis finally decided to keep Gobi and bring her back to the UK. But the process is not going to be easy or swift. For now, Gobi is being kept at a rescue center in Harbin, according to his update on October 12. Jarvis also set up a GoFundMe page for Gobi. So far, the donations have been paused, but Jarvis raised a total of $5,366 out of $6674. All the extra money from the donation will go to Slaughterhouse Survivors, a charity that rescues and re-homes cats and dogs in China.
Unexpected rescue
People think cats and dogs are cute and cuddly, but not everyone is ready to adopt or take them in. A 2025 YouGov survey found that only 19% of people with no dogs were willing to take in a stray dog from the streets, and 18% of people with no cats were willing to take in a stray cat if they found it in the streets. The majority of people with no dogs (54%) or cats (63%) were unwilling to take them in. Thankfully for Jarvis, he encountered Gobi in the middle of the desert and is putting in a tremendous amount of effort to bring her back to the UK to live with him.
'Meaningful coincidence'
Viewers are wishing Jarvis the best on his run and his journey with Gobi. @bigtiggs wrote, "The cat distribution system hit you at the weirdest time. It was meant to be. Good luck getting her back to the UK. Looking forward to hearing about the rest of the adventure." @hendriks.amanda added, "A fragile kitten in the middle of the desert is a meaningful coincidence, a sign from the universe. She is yours."
You can follow Jack Jarvis (@jackjarvisfit) on Instagram for more running and Gobi content.
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