Cats are natural climbers, but one feline named Lalah has pushed her abilities to new heights.
Lalah was discovered as a kitten evading traffic in front of Boulbaka 2, a rock climbing gym in Okinawa, Japan, and has since perfected her skill.
The gym’s owner, Mitsuru Goan, told us, “I chose to shelter her at the gym.” “Since then, she’s become the manager of our facility, greeting guests with ‘Meow!’ every day.”
Lalah used to jump on the shelves and climb up a rope that hung from the ceiling when she was a kitten. Goan dismissed it as typical feline behavior until she began climbing up stepladders to reach the cliff face.
“She gained the courage to attempt,” Goan explained. “Then she started touching the bouldering grips on the wall, attempting to get higher.”
Lalah mimicked the actions of the other climbers on the wall. She was able to grasp more and more handholds as she grew taller. She never received rewards for climbing the rock wall, but the tiny crowds that came to watch appeared to be enough for her.
Lalah finally made it all the way to the top one day.
The gym’s rock configurations vary on a regular basis, and when Lalah’s wall was changed, she became disinterested.
Lalah now loves to spend her days doing nothing but relaxing and soaking up the attention of the gym patrons. “She likes to sneak inside people’s luggage and sleep there,” Goan explained. “You have to be careful not to take her home with you.”
