Herbee is a pet hedgehog and Audree is a spotted Bengal cat, and together they star in some of the most carefully styled animal photos on Instagram. Their owner and photographer, Talitha Girnus, poses them against Alpine peaks, café terraces and fields of flowers, so each picture looks like a tiny travel postcard. Here is how the account began, a look at their photos and what anyone tempted to copy the look should know about these two very different animals.
Who are Herbee and Audree?
Herbee looks like an African pygmy hedgehog, the species most commonly kept as a pet, and Audree is a Bengal, a breed known for its leopard-like coat. Girnus posts their pictures on @mr.pokee, an account named after an earlier hedgehog, and the official Mr. Pokee website describes the pair travelling together in Austria and promotes "Herbee's & Audree's Adventures".
The appeal is in the contrast: a small, round, spiny animal next to a sleek, wild-looking cat several times its size, both posed in landscapes that make them look like explorers.
How Mr. Pokee started it all
The account takes its name from Mr. Pokee, the hedgehog who started it in 2015. Girnus got him when he was a baby of about eight weeks, and his smiling face and outdoor photo shoots made him one of the best-known hedgehogs online. Pokee died in early 2019, before his fourth birthday, and the account continued with Herbee and Audree. A pet hedgehog's typical life span is about four to six years, so his death was early but not far outside the normal range.
Some of the solo hedgehog portraits that circulate with this story may come from Pokee's years on the account, so we describe them simply as "the hedgehog" below.
Mountain trips together
Two hands lift the cat and the hedgehog up against a backdrop of jagged limestone peaks. The scenery resembles the Dolomites or similar ranges in the eastern Alps, and the wide-angle lens makes the animals look as big as the mountains.
Audree sits on a patterned blanket with Herbee tucked in beside her, a sea of clouds and distant ridges behind them. The bright, folk-style blanket is a recurring prop that ties many of the photos together visually.
Herbee peeks out of an enamel camping mug printed with a mountain-themed love message while Audree reaches up with a paw. Shot above the clouds, it is one of the clearest examples of how carefully each scene is planned.
On a hotel terrace with mountains in the distance, the cat sniffs a teacup while the hedgehog sits in another, next to small cakes and a pink flower pot. The setting looks like an Alpine guesthouse café.
The pair rest on a tree stump in a meadow of purple crocuses, with green pastures, a village and twin rocky peaks behind them. Crocuses like these flower in Alpine meadows soon after the snow melts.
Hedgehog portraits and props
Many of the most popular shots use miniature props, which play on the hedgehog's habit of rolling onto its back and showing a pale, round belly.
Audree, still a kitten here, sleeps curled around a plush hedgehog toy on a patterned blanket. It is a sweet reminder that the cat's "friendship" with hedgehogs started with a stuffed one.
The hedgehog lies on its back with a tiny guitar in its paws, mouth open as if singing. Props this small are usually held in place for only a moment while the photographer shoots.
Crowned and sprawled on a miniature spiky throne, the hedgehog parodies the famous Iron Throne from Game of Thrones. The spikes of the chair echo the animal's own quills.
Held belly-up in one hand on a pebble beach at sunset, with a long pier and a white seaside building in the background. The setting resembles the historic piers of Germany's Baltic coast.
The hedgehog is held up beside a fluffy white dog in a patterned bandana, both in front of a vintage Volkswagen camper van. It is one of several photos where the account mixes species for a group portrait.
Sitting in a doll-sized deckchair with a paintbrush, the hedgehog appears to have just finished a small painting of itself on an easel. The scene is staged on a fur rug in warm window light.
The hedgehog relaxes inside a carved-out pumpkin with a plush hedgehog beside it, an autumn and Halloween favourite. Real pumpkin flesh is soft and damp, so a shoot like this should be brief.
A real hedgehog and a toy one are posed as scoops in waffle cones. The joke works because the spiky top looks surprisingly like a scoop of chocolate-chip ice cream.
Wearing a crown of pink and peach flowers, the hedgehog is held up beside a river where an old sailing ship is moored. Flower crowns were a popular trend in pet photography at the time.
Wrapped in a striped blanket, the hedgehog sticks out its tongue while hugging a tiny teddy bear. Hedgehogs sometimes lick and chew new smells, part of an unusual behaviour called self-anointing.
Sitting in a hand at a lakeside sunset, the hedgehog appears to hold a red heart-shaped balloon, with tiny orange socks on its feet. It is a typical Valentine's-style post.
Peeking out of a hiking boot on a rocky lookout over forested hills, the hedgehog becomes the account's mascot for mountain walks.
Held up among tall sunflowers against a blue summer sky, the hedgehog lies back with its small feet in the air. The bright yellow flowers make its pale belly stand out.
Wearing a small cone-shaped party hat, the hedgehog sits on the head of a calm older dog lying on a sofa. The dog's patient expression is a big part of the photo's charm.
Mr. Pokee: Website | Instagram | YouTube
Can a cat and a hedgehog really be friends?
These photos are lovely, but they should not be read as proof that any cat and hedgehog will get along. The two species have very different needs:
- Hedgehogs are solitary and nocturnal. The African pygmy hedgehog, also called the four-toed hedgehog, weighs about 250 to 600 grams and is most active at night, when it can cover long distances foraging. Owners usually provide a large running wheel.
- They need warmth. The species prefers about 24 to 30 °C. Too cold and it may try to hibernate, which can be dangerous for a pet; too hot and it becomes sluggish.
- Bengals are known as active, playful cats. The breed comes from crosses between the wild Asian leopard cat and domestic cats, first deliberately bred by Jean Mill in 1963 and recognised by TICA in 1986. A cat with strong hunting instincts may see a small animal as prey.
- Check the law. Some US states and Canadian localities ban pet hedgehogs or require permits.
Animals raised together from a young age can learn to tolerate each other, and Audree appears relaxed in these pictures. Still, any introduction should be slow and supervised, and a vet with exotic-pet experience is the best person to ask before trying it.
Enjoying animal photos responsibly
What we see is a few seconds of each shoot, chosen from many attempts. Good animal photographers keep sessions short, avoid extreme heat and cold, keep animals away from cliff edges and never use food or props that could be swallowed. If you want to photograph your own pet, the best shots usually come from patience and natural light rather than elaborate costumes.
The lasting charm of Herbee and Audree is that their account began with one much-loved hedgehog and kept going after his death, a small story about how pets shape the people who care for them.
Sources: Photos by Talitha Girnus, @mr.pokee on Instagram and mrpokee.com; Wikipedia: Four-toed hedgehog; Wikipedia: Bengal cat.
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