Creative Cat Who Lives At A Rock Climbing Fitness Center Tries To Climb The Wall Like People Do

For this cat, climbing is not just an instinct, but a way of life.

Damjan

• Published in Animals
• October 12, 2020

Cats are natural-born climbers. We've all seen cats climbing impossible places and jumping large distances like it was nothing.

And a cat named Lalah, who lives in Boulbaka Bouldering Gym near Naha, Okinawa, Japan, is the best of the best. For this cat, climbing is not just an instinct, but a way of life.

The gym owner Mitsuru Goan says that the cat named Lalah has been going up the ropes and ladders, jumping on shelves to prepare for pro performance. After seeing people climbing the wall, Lalah figured that it was about time to give it a try, and the cat climbed the wall like it was nothing.

The video of the talented cat climber became viral in a second, leaving rock climbing professionals in awe of the cat's grip and control.

Lalah, the cat, lives in a bouldering gym in Japan after the gym’s manager took her in

The cat had been climbing stepladders and ropes to keep in shape before trying to climb the rock wall

This footage of athletic Lalah nailing the climbing wall has gone viral

The owner of Boulbaka gym says that since he took the little kitty in, she has become a supervisor at their facility, greeting every visitor with a friendly “Meow!” At a young age, Lalah would observe climbers rocking the wall and imitate their actions.

As she grew bigger, she was able to reach further up the rock wall. She did not do it for treats – she did it simply because she wanted, and she got encouragement from the climbers in the gym.

A chill out after a great training session

A bouldering gym is an excellent playground for a natural-born climber.

When she’s not in training, Lalah is resting and enjoying the attention she’s getting from the gym visitors. Mitsuru says that she often gets naughty and slips into visitors’ sports bags for a snooze. And that’s why “you need to pay attention not to bring her home with you.”

Lalah keeps on training, and who knows what she will think of next.

Molly DeVoss is a cat training and behavior specialist and the consulting agency Cat Behavior Solutions owner. She says that all cats are naturally great climbers, but this one seems unique: “she is especially skilled at climbing on such small and uneven surfaces.”

In the wild, felines go to high places to find shelter from predators or to find the right spot for hunting, and it’s all part of their instinct. “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 said that since cats are curious by nature - they may climb as high as you give them the chance 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 also recommended “creating vertical climbing spaces and high wall beds for cats” to “expand their territory and provide environmental enrichment.”

And this is how people responded:

Damjan