When you think of bringing along a pet on a holiday, you’re probably not picturing a cat in tow on a lead and harness... But this is exactly what couple Christie and Luke do with their adorable rescue kitty, Boogie!
Christie and Luke are both jet-setters who work in the music industry. While they’re not travelling around for work, they love being homebodies, with pottery, photography, woodwork and cooking filling their time.
Sweet little Boogie
Like many Melbournians, it was during the 2020 lockdowns that the couple decided to adopt a pet. So, thanks to a friend's suggestion, they hopped onto PetRescue and began their search. They were living with Christie’s sister at the time and wanted a social kitty who would get along well with her.
‘’PetRescue is very easy to use. I just searched under the 'Cats' tab and narrowed the search to our state.’’
With so many adoptions happening at the time, Christie and Luke were refreshing the site every few hours to see new listings. It wasn’t long before an adorable litter of kittens was listed by MEOW Rescue, and Christie jumped on the phone to the group.
The couple had initially set out to find a quiet, black female kitten, just like her sister's cat, who the couple adored. They arranged a time to visit the shelter to meet the litter. They met teeny little boy Boogie, who was the complete opposite of what they had started searching for. He was grey and white and very rambunctious! Shortly after they got home, they received a call to let them know he was all theirs.
‘He is almost the polar opposite from what we were looking for. In the end, colour or sex doesn't matter at all; we couldn't be happier. When we arrived to pick him up, he came out to greet us and, at that moment, we knew we'd love him no matter what.’
Vocal kitty Boogie wasted no time settling himself into his new home and purred for almost a week straight! He loves being involved in whatever activities his humans are doing, and if he’s having fun in another room, he’ll shout at them until they join in!
‘’He is very cheeky and can be pretty sassy! His favourite games are hide and seek, fetch and chasey. He is a little grub; he loves to dig holes, roll in the dirt and rip apart and destroy dried grass. He will happily sit in the rain but hates baths.
Boogie has been very vocal since the first day we bought him home. These days he accents everything he does with chirps and trills. These are very emotive and expressive!’’
Boogie’s vibrant personality has brightened up Christie and Luke’s lives, especially when one of them is working away.
‘’We have a very close bond; I put this down to both of us being home with him so much due to lockdowns. He loves attention, and we love giving it to him. He's always making us laugh with his antics!
When we're home, we spend most of the day together, he loves to be close to us, and at the least, he comes to check in on us regularly. Whenever we leave, he's always excitedly waiting at the door for us when we arrive home.
We travel a lot for work, so having Boogie at home is immeasurable. His company, while the other is away, is invaluable. This is probably the most significant impact he has had on our lives. Always having him around to play with, look after, cuddle and talk to, just to hang out with in general has made the house a much less lonely place to be while one of us is away.’’
When it came to travelling, there was never any question about whether he’d come along - the couple didn’t want to leave him behind! The couple started leash training straight away, and when he was a little older, they got him a harness, a leash, and a backpack carrier (although he prefers to walk around himself!)
The couple slowly got him used to the car, and he’s now so comfortable in it that he’ll fall asleep in one of their laps after gazing out the windows!
‘’He looks to us for safety, so as long as we are with him, he feels at home. A big key to car trips is keeping everything relaxed before we leave. He knows when we are packing the car for a trip. We try to stay in pet-friendly accommodation where we can. Boogie is very well toilet trained, will always use his scratching post and settles into a new location quickly, so he is easy to travel with.’’
Like many pets adopted during lockdowns, Boogie is much better with new places than new people. Christie and Luke are making sure to slowly socialise him and introduce him to new people at his own pace.
‘’As long as no one is around, he will happily explore a new place and go for walks. It's always fun to watch him in a new location; he has to explore everywhere and give everything the sniff test!’’
You can check out more of Christie’s stunning photos of Boogie’s adventures on her Instagram.
Want more tips on travelling with pets? Check out PetRescue’s guide
Ready to welcome a feline friend (or two!) into your home? Start your search today!
Happy stories like Boogie’s are made possible because your donation helps connect homeless pets with loving humans, giving them the greatest chance possible of finding a new home.