As far as Instagram travel buddies go nobody is closer (or cuter) than Herbee and Audree. The duo traverses the globe together, spending time in castles in Germany and sitting by the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Yes, these two are happy to share their adventures with the world on social media, and yes, they are absolutely worth following if you’re a travel lover.
But, they are worth traveling for one more reason: Herbee happens to be a hedgehog, and Audree happens to be a Bengal kitten — and both probably have more passport stamps than you do.
It all began in 2015, when Herbee and Audree’s human, Talitha Girnus, started an Instagram account for her first hedgehog, Mr. Pokee. At the time, Girnus would post about her adventures with Mr. Pokee by her side. Sadly, in 2019, just before his fourth birthday, Mr. Pokee passed away.
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COURTESY OF @MR.POKEE
In an effort to recreate some of her Mr. Pokee magic, Girnus adopted Herbee and Audree and kept Mr. Pokee’s memory alive by using his Instagram page to share their new travels. And, we are all here for it as it’s hands down one of the most joyous accounts on Instagram.
“Between all the serious things happening in the world every day, Pokee and now also Herbee and Audree are here to give you a reason to be happy and smile,” Girnus writes about the page on her blog. “Whenever you return to our page, we want to remind you to never lose faith and always follow your heart.”
As for how these two truly get along on the road, Girnus shares with People, “…they’re inseparable! Wherever Herbee goes, Audree goes. She lays down on spots where he was, they sometimes even snuggle and play together.” She adds, “Audree is allowed in Herbee’s cage and sleeps there sometimes or just watches him.”
Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Girnus says the three of them happily went on hiking trips, picnics, and even stayed in their fair share of animal-friendly hotels.
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COURTESY OF @MR.POKEE
“He gets very excited and gets to run around and explore with Audree while I try to catch the best interactions between them,” Girnus adds about their adventures. “It’s amazing to travel with pets, although I believe you need to prepare more and bring a lot of equipment.”
For now, the threesome are grounded from travel like the rest of us, but Girnus is still hoping the account brings both a smile to people’s faces and a sense of wonderment for the world around.
“Of course we can’t travel but I think it also has a good side. It makes me appreciate going on adventures with them even more!” she says. “All of a sudden this situation takes us all back to our roots, we spend more time with my family and learn to actually appreciate the small things. Like a ladybug sitting on Audree’s head or Herbee smelling a little flower.”
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