Climbing comes naturally to cats; they’ve got the best built-in climbing gear nature has to offer.
Some kitties have extra special skills though. And when a cat calls a rock-climbing gym home, then she’s bound to be the best climber around!
Just like Lalah, who lives at Boulbaka 2, a rock-climbing gym in Okinawa, Japan.
Before the nimble kitty became the climbing expert she is today, she was a little kitten, not quite big enough to pull off the jumps needed to make it up the wall. But as Lalah has proven, practice makes purrfect.
bouldering gym BOULBAKA/Facebook
Leaping Lalah Grows into Rock Climbing
Lalah came to call the bouldering gym home after she was rescued from the streets. Mitsuru Goan, owner of Boulbaka 2 and Lalah’s human, decided the gym would be the right home for the found kitten. Lalah agreed!
Goan told The Dodo, “Since then, she has been a manager of our facility, saying ‘Meow!’ to visitors every day.”
bouldering gym BOULBAKA/Facebook
Right away, Lalah took to climbing, hopping on shelves and scaling stepladders. She also quite enjoyed clawing her way up a rope suspended from the ceiling. But as a kitten, she just wasn’t big enough for scaling the wall. Soon, “she got the confidence to try.”
“Then she started to touch those holds on the wall for bouldering — trying to go higher.”
bouldering gym BOULBAKA/Facebook
While lounging about the gym, she would watch the humans climb the wall and later try out the moves herself. With every attempt, she got closer and closer to the top, until one day, Lalah achieved her goal and leapt from the final rock hold to the top of the wall.
Now, Lalah Likes the Rope and the Naps
But as Lalah has grown from kitten to cat, the novelty of scaling the wall has worn off. She knows she can do it, so she’s got no need to show off! “She still climbs up the rope up to the ceiling, about 16 feet high, to have a workout.”
Which is still quite impressive!
bouldering gym BOULBAKA/Facebook
When not working out on the rope, Lalah enjoys watching the humans conquer the wall. And the climbers probably appreciate having a cat nearby. She helps them channel their inner felines for excellent climbing.
Goan does have to warn climbers to check their bags before they leave the gym though. “She loves to slip in visitors’ bags and sleep there.”
“You need to pay attention not to bring her home with you.”
bouldering gym BOULBAKA/Facebook
And, Lalah would probably be climbing your walls to get back to her rocks!
https://www.facebook.com/Boulbaka/videos/1062813230496603/
H/T: www.thedodo.com
Feature Image: bouldering gym BOULBAKA/Facebook