Vladdy and Fitz are two northern cats that love kayaking, hiking trails and the open water. The felines, owned by Temiskaming Shores content creator Heidi Korte, have captured the hearts of more than one million followers across all their platforms, trading typical indoor pet life for outdoor escapades. “I would have never pictured this,” Korte said. “I just was putting it out for family and friends for fun and had no expectation of any kind of career path.” Three years ago, Korte put her dreams of becoming a musician on hold. She was living out west and moved back to her childhood home to care for her father following a cancer diagnosis. Looking for a companion, she adopted an eight-week-old kitten named Fitz from a local shelter and decided on a whim to introduce him to the outdoors. “I was walking my father’s dog because she needed a walk every day,” Korte said. “And I would just take Fitz in this over-the-shoulder pouch in a sweater and hat in the winter, because I didn’t want his ears to get frostbite.” Within three months, she said Fitz wanted to walk alongside the dog. “It was very, very evident,” Korte said. “And so, he just started walking with the dog and it was like, OK, I guess we’re doing this now.” Shortly after, Korte took a chance on Vladdy, a rescue cat who had been deemed unadoptable. “There was a house fire. He was lost for a little while, and then his relatives surrendered him to the shelter because no one wanted him,” she said. “He sent one shelter worker to the ER because he just kept fighting and attacking everybody. Someone who worked there tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘You know, he’s a pretty aggressive boy, but I think with the right person he could be something else.’” The cats now have custom outfits -- specialized rain gear, and the world’s first cat snowsuit, crafted by an Italian designer. “A lot of mail has come my way, but it’s just really surprising from followers saying, like, ‘I’m 36, and my husband passed and my daughter and I watch your videos every day, and it’s the only thing that makes us laugh,’” she said. “And it’s like totally mind-boggling to me how, like, my little cat videos can have that effect on lives.” For Korte, the community has grown into a source of support. When her mother broke her shoulder in May, cards, chocolates, and handmade mittens flooded in from strangers across the globe. “The amount of mittens that are coming in from people my mom’s never met ... my mom is so loved by so many,” Korte said. “It just feels like, as I’m caregiving, I have a million people along for the ride.” She said she is planning to grow the channel and use her platform to advocate for seniors dealing with loneliness. “There are so many seniors and nursing homes that are completely just forgotten that get no visits a month and don’t leave the nursing home,” Korte said. “And that is something I want to draw attention to.” She added that sometimes life redirects you to a path you never expected. “I had knocked so long on my music career, and the door wasn’t opening and that’s just OK,” she said. “All of a sudden, the doors are wide open for Fitz and Vladdy. So, it’s the door that opens, I think, is the one you should walk through.”
