JJ Yosh adored cats, but when he first got Simon, he honestly didn’t think it was going to work out.

“The first night I had Simon he was a complete nightmare,” Yosh told The Dodo. “He was meowing all night, hiding in corners — this cat wouldn’t let me near him at all.”

The next day, Simon escaped from Yosh’s house in Boulder, Colorado, disappearing beneath a large rock outside. Yosh tried to cajole Simon to come out, but Simon refused.

“I couldn’t get him,” Yosh said. “I had to go to work so I left him there.”

But Yosh was worried sick about Simon, and the moment he returned home, he immediately searched for him. Thankfully, Simon was still underneath the same rock, meowing away. When Yosh reached for Simon, the cat allowed Yosh to pull him out.

That is when everything started to change between Yosh and Simon.

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“He calmed down and became super affectionate,” Yosh said. “It was then that I started to fall in love with Simon. Once he settled down, it became clear that I couldn’t give him up for adoption.”

Yosh also thought of a way to harness Simon’s adventurous spirit — he took him out for a hike in the local area.

“He didn’t have a harness so I was worried he would run away, but luckily he followed me on the hike,” Yosh said. “His first hike was about half a mile, and then I carried him the other mile and a half. He was really tired.”

Simon may have tired quickly that first time, but Yosh could see that Simon had loved the hike. So Yosh took him on another one. And another. And another.

“As the days went on, Simon became even more adventurous,” Yosh said. “I would take him on hikes everyday, training him to hike on a leash.”

But it wasn’t just hiking trips that Simon got to enjoy — Yosh also started taking Simon camping, kayaking, climbing and caving.

“He can climb pretty hard rocks that I can’t even climb,” Yosh said. “I also think he is one helluva a swimmer. When we kayak sometimes he jumps into the water.”

Now Yosh takes Simon everywhere — and can’t imagine going on an adventure without him.

“He’s been on three road trips over 20 hours, traveled to many states and seen things that most cats don’t get to see,” Yosh said. “He’s a lucky bugger, but I’m probably the luckiest one out of the bunch to have him.”

“He is my kid,” Yosh added. “I love him to death. There are so many moments that I think to myself how incredible it is to be taking care of such a fascinating being.”

To see more photos of Simon going on adventures with his dad, you can follow his Instagram page.

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source THE DODO.