This free-climbing moggie shows a lot of talent, including upper body strength. Clearly there are some climbs a human makes that a cat can’t, given their disparities in size, but I wonder if there are some climbs a cat can make but a trained rock-climber can’t.
h/t: Grania
But can it get down again?
Who cares. That’s why we have firefighters isn’t it?
Cool video!
(As a former rock climber — too old and broken down now), those are yuge holds and very close together.
There probably are slab climbs that a cat can do that a human can’t.
Slab climb.
But almost all rock climbs are on small holds in a vertical or near-vertical form.
Small holds.
One thing I noticed is that the cat always knows where its feet are going. Human climbers are constantly looking down to make sure they plant their feet in the right places, but once the cat mentally maps out where it’s going, it never needs to look back.
A lot of climbing that humans do makes use of specialized equipment. Mano v Cato (i.e. naked) I think there are lots of climbing scenarios in which a cat could out perform a human.
Thin branch.
I wonder why it climbed this or how it may have been encouraged to do so? What benefit was there for the cat?
15 minutes of video fame!? More likely, there is a treat or bowl of food at the top.
Nah, some cats just instinctively climb anything. Fences, trees, power poles, curtains…
Check this one out – including the overhang at the top:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgtYrlFwzF0
Or this one – how is the kitteh hanging on? Suction?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtHszdmdaGM
cr
Thanks for these wonderful clips. However, neither clearly supports your thesis of natural instinctiveness. The first relates to access to the cat’s home, I suppose: the other to its following a light. In the clip which Prof Coyne put up, it may indeed be correct that there is food at the top of the climb, as Mr. Bell says, but I have to say that I see no evidence for that.
I agree the kittehs in those two clips were probably motivated by something. So ‘instinctively’ is not supported by those particular clips.
Maybe ‘habitually’ would be a better word? I don’t know if the majority of domestic cats climb things (until they get too fat’n’lazy) or if it’s just a conspicuous minority.
cr
I love this so much!!! What a cool cat!
I hope someone is spotting for the cat, in case of a slip, but I wouldn’t want to do it myself without claw proof clothing or an appropriate net.
Reblogged this on The Logical Place.