Alex the adventure cat

SANDPOINT — Alex the athletic feline goes on hikes with his two-legged friends, rain or shine.

Alex first met one of those people — Rick Foutch, a traveling emergency physician — when he jumped in his car and refused to leave. Rick had just finished a shift at the ER in Colorado and was about to head to New Mexico for work.

Rick tried to get Alex out of the car, but the feline refused to budge. Owners could not be found and Alex — a kitten at the time — had no tags. Rick was going to New Mexico the next day to work at an ER down there, so he brought Alex with him.

And it’s been that way ever since. Alex now lives with Rick and his wife Lynn Foutch in North Idaho.

Lynn enjoys hiking every day, often going on treks of three-and-a-half miles — if not more. And Alex is right there with her, ready in his harness or if he gets tired, riding in his pet carrier on Lynn’s torso.

“Alex was destined to be with me,” said Lynn. “He trusts me, I can tell when he is in his carrier looking up at me. I’ve never had a cat like him. He is more like a dog.”

Alex loves to go up high on the Cabinets, said Lynn, adding he’s a pampered kitty and gets whatever he wants, even venison.

Alex hasn’t just worked his way into the Foutches’ heart. He has even won over his “brother” Argo, a Shiba Inu. Argo has been a constant companion of Alex and his adventures.

The Foutches and their four-legged companions hike all over Boundary and Bonner counties. Lynn tries to avoid trails near the railroad and where dog walkers are prevalent.

“I don’t want to startle Alex,” said Lynn.

If you see Alex, Argo and Lynn out hiking say ‘hi’, just be respectful and don’t startle the animals. Alex now has a winter coat and should be out even in the snow.