It’s no secret that our beloved feline friends have the best built-in climbing gear nature has to offer. I mean, we’ve all seen our cattos climbing to the top of the shelf before grabbing the lamp for a jump across the room. (All in the middle of the night and for no apparent reason.)
And for a cat named Lalah who lives in Boulbaka Bouldering Gym near Naha, Okinawa, Japan, climbing is not only an instinct, but a way of life. You see, the gym owner Mitsuru Goan said that Lalah has been climbing up ropes and stepladders and jumping on shelves before she got the confidence to go pro.
After seeing the climbers scaling the wall, Lalah thought it was about time to give it a go, and sooner than you knew it, the little furball had reached the top of Everest—er, I mean the rock wall. The video of the talented feline mountaineer, aka tortoiseshell Lalah, has since gone viral, leaving climbing experts in awe of the kitty’s agility and grip.
More info: Facebook | Boulbaka.com
The cat named Lalah calls this bouldering gym in Japan her home after the gym's owner gave her a shelter here
Image credits: bouldering gym BOULBAKA
Lalah had been climbing ropes and stepladders to keep in form before deciding to climb the rock wall
Image credits: bouldering gym BOULBAKA
This video of talented Lalah nailing the rock wall has gone viral
Mitsuru, the owner of Boulbaka gym, previously told the press that since he took the small kitty Lalah in, she has become a manager of their facility, saying "Meow!" to visitors every day.
Ever since she was little, Lalah would watch climbers rocking the wall and mimic their moves. As time passed, she grew bigger every day and was able to reach further up the wall. Surprisingly, she was never used to getting treats for climbing—the only support she got was the small crowds of climbers who’d encourage her.
Everyone deserves to chill out after a good workout session
Image credits: bouldering gym BOULBAKA
Life in a bouldering gym for a natural-born climber like Lalah is always full of adventures
Image credits: bouldering gym BOULBAKA
When she’s not practicing, Lalah is busy resting and soaking up attention from gym visitors. Mitsuru said that she sometimes gets cheeky and slips into visitors’ bags for a nap. Thus, he warned, “you need to pay attention not to bring her home with you.”
Even today, Lalah never misses a workout by climbing up the rope up to the ceiling, which is about 16 feet high. Who knows, maybe she’s plotting a new challenge!
Lalah loves watching other climbers go up the wall
Image credits: bouldering gym BOULBAKA
Keep up the good work, Lalah, and never stop exploring!
Image credits: bouldering gym BOULBAKA
To find out more about how come Lalah the cat is nailing the rock wall so effortlessly, Bored Panda spoke to Molly DeVoss, the certified feline training and behavior specialist who runs the consulting agency Cat Behavior Solutions. Molly said that all cats are naturally good climbers, but this one does seem special: “she is especially skilled at climbing on such small and uneven surfaces.”
In the wild, cats climb to find shelter from predators or to have an advantage point for hunting, and it’s all part of their instinct to climb to high places. “They are also able to handle landing from falls better than most species, as they are able to twist to land on their feet,” Molly said.
Molly also explained that because of cats’ natural curiosity, they may climb as high as you give them the opportunity to. “My climbing wall and cat beds are about 12 feet off the ground and my cat loves napping up there. If you reinforce the climbing with treats or encouragement, the cat will climb more.”
The cat behavior expert suggested “creating vertical climbing spaces and high wall beds for cats” as a way to “expand their territory and provide environmental enrichment." Plus, it’s a fun sight for you to watch your feline mountaineer doing what they know best!
And this is what people had to say about the feline climber
