When Cynthia Bennett introduced a kitten to her home she never expected that things would change forever. Her dog, Henry, had always been a good and caring dog, so she never expected him to act out towards a tiny kitten the way he did. She couldn’t believe it when Henry grabbed the kitten, until she realized why he did it.
Lovers of adventure, couple Cynthia Bennett and Andre Sibilsky, decided it was time to expand their little family of two in 2014. But their idea of expanding wasn’t settling down and having a baby. They decided to get a dog, instead. And man were they in for an adventure when they adopted Henry.
Cynthia had always been a lover of animals. Since she spent time working at the Dusty Dog Horse Farm, Cynthia was definitely aware of animals and their behavior. Cynthia started dating her boyfriend Andre in 2013. In 2014, the couple decided to expand their love, so they chose to adopt a dog together. Cynthia knew that she wanted a golden retriever mix, but that’s not exactly how things played out.
And there he is. Little Henry. Well, maybe little isn’t the right word, considering Henry was only 14 weeks old and larger than all of the other puppies that were his age. Cynthia was sold on the sweet-natured Henry when she climbed into his kennel and he curled up on her lap. She explained that she knew he was the one as soon as he went belly up and put his head on her arm. In December of 2014, Cynthia and Andre called Henry theirs. And their adventures began.
Andre and Cynthia absolutely love going on hikes and simply enjoying the gifts of nature, so it wasn’t long before Henry was joining in on the fun, too. Cynthia even said, “I think we only had him for three days before we took him on his first hike.” It was that very hike that Henry decided that he could go on adventures all by himself.
Cynthia explained that on Henry’s first hike he decided to take the steepest, tallest rock and run to the very top of it. Henry knew that was the best place to get a good view, so he peeked over the edge. The couple said, while laughing, that from that very first hike with Henry they started calling him their “little mountain goat.” Henry would go on plenty of more hikes with the couple.
They spent the next few years going on plenty of adventures. In fact, Henry had seen more adventures than most dogs. He’s spent time swimming in rivers and lakes on hot days and running around snow-covered mountains. Henry has truly been given an adventurous lifestyle. Regardless, Henry wasn’t prepared for the next challenge they were going to throw at him.
The couple decided that it was time to expand their family again in 2017. So they chose to adopt a beautiful Siamese mixed kitten from an animal rescue. It took them five months to find him, but they finally found their Baloo. They were amazed when they introduced Baloo to Henry.
Cynthia explained that she had always wanted to rescue a kitten. They knew they had to find one that would fit into their lifestyle of adventure, though. Henry was certainly not expecting a new travel buddy, especially not a tiny kitten. But when the two animals met everyone’s hearts melted.
In only took a matter of seconds for Baloo to fall in love with Henry. All he wanted to do was cuddle and play with his new best friend. What made the situation even better was that Henry was more than happy to welcome his new buddy. It didn’t take long for the family to bring Baloo on his first adventure and his reaction was amazing.
Baloo certainly isn’t your typical cat. Cynthia explains that she constantly gets asked how she got Baloo used to constantly traveling. She explains, “But he really loves it. He really wants to go outside.” To show that Baloo isn’t the type of cat that likes to stay at home she says, “If I touch Henry’s leash, [Baloo] will start screaming at the door.” But he hasn’t always been that way.
Cynthia admits that when they first started bringing Baloo with them on their adventures she was a little worried about how he was going to react. He seemed a bit nervous at first, but eventually he started to embrace them. It was absolutely adorable to see how Henry helped Baloo learn the ropes.
Whenever they go on their little walks, you can see Baloo following behind Henry very closely. Cynthia laughs, “I think he thinks he’s more a dog than anything. I call them brothers but I think Baloo thinks that Henry’s his mum because he constantly looks for a teet. He’ll go in and you can tell he’s looking because he’s nuzzling under Henry’s armpit.” The two are absolutely inseparable and love going on adventures together.
Cynthia and Henry both have a passion for photography and with Baloo and Henry by their sides they never have to worry about looking for the perfect shot. You can constantly see Baloo lying on top of Henry’s head when they go out for walks, with a backdrop of nature. They all sleep together in their tent and they absolutely adore their little family.
It looks like Andre and Cynthia were able to expand their love for nature and photography onto their animals. Their version of perfection can be seen in their amazing adventures with their family. The pictures they take are just a small peek into their beautiful lives.