While we enjoyed our visit to Haida Gwaii immensely, there were a couple of very important family members we missed while we were away: our Golden Retriever, Roux, and our cat, Micca. To make it up to them, we decided to turn right around upon our return and take them on a camping trip of their own!
Micca: From Indoor Cat to Adventure Kitty
Up until last year’s camping trip, Micca was strictly an indoor cat. When we first brought her along last year, the plan was to keep her safe and cozy inside the camper. However, it wasn’t long before she used her feline charms to convince us to let her explore. We tried putting a harness on her, but that did not last long—she simply backed right out of it! As it turned out, we didn’t need to worry. She stayed close by, never wanting to be anywhere without her big sister, Roux.
Later that evening, we headed out to take Roux for a little walk, fully confident that Micca would stay behind and guard the camper. Lo and behold, we turned around and there she was, trotting right behind us! She stayed with us for the entire walk—a whopping 2 kilometers!
This year was no different. Wherever Roux went, there was Micca right on her heels. We went for a beautiful walk through the forest, and the two of them had a blast exploring. They wove through the trees, ducked under bushes, and climbed over logs. It was incredibly sweet to watch how they looked out for each other; they constantly checked in with one another, and made sure to look back and check on us, too.
After a long day of adventuring, even the best of friends need a little downtime.
We all enjoy wildlife viewing while camping—like spotting loons and this beautiful goose family (count ’em, nine chicks in total!). We also did our best to get a photo of a moose swimming across the lake, but, alas, it was too far away to capture—the photo, that is, not the moose!
The wildlife encounters didn’t stop when we got back to civilization, either. Roux enjoys seeing wildlife on our walks like squirrels, ducks, birds, rabbits, herons, and this raccoon which she may have thought was a masked cat!
Whether camping, hiking or chilling at home, a day doesn’t go by that Micca and Roux don’t offer up a heart-warming glimpse of their friendship.
If you ever wonder just how well these two get along, their daily routine speaks for itself. They have a level of trust that is amazing to watch. Micca can walk right up to Roux’s mouth to see what she is eating, and Roux doesn’t react at all. When Roux gets a lick mat, Micca will get right in there to share the food, and Roux is happy to let her. While Roux isn’t one to curl up next to Micca, Micca takes every single opportunity she can get to curl up right next to Roux.
Roux is also fiercely protective of her feline sister. Recently, we were looking after another Golden Retriever, and when he got a little too rambunctious near Micca, she gave him a warning hiss. Without hesitation, Roux ran straight over to Micca to make sure she was okay, completely ignoring the other dog!
Well, this is just the start to the summer so time to start planning our next camping trips. We will be sure to tell you all about the adventures of Roux and Micca!
Thanks to all who either reply to our posts whether on this site or via email. It’s wonderful to hear from you!