There are those who don’t really like the idea of training cats. They have a laissez-faire approach to cat ownership.
Then there are a few people who like their cat to come along with them while they do the sort of things only a few humans do such as mountain climbing.
Andrey Ostanin is a Russian mountaineer and he must love cats. He certainly loves his cat, Graf.
He decided to climb Europe’s highest mountain, Elbrus, at 5,642 meters with Graf. It is the world’s tenth highest mountain. He just failed to reach the summit because of a storm.
He captured some amazing photos though. And it proves that without formal training the domestic cat will adapt to what you are doing and your lifestyle provided the bond is excellent.
Andrey wanted Graf to be the first alpinist cat. Andrey was inspired by the story of a cat who went climbing in the Himalayas.
Andrey sensibly took the expedition seriously and carried out a few trials beforehand and bought Graf a special thermo-suit to protect him from the freezing cild.
Grad did not suffer from altitude sickness. I suppose the point is that cats can adopt to this sort of activity and have fun as well.
You might argue that it is unfair on the cat to drag him up a mountain but it depends on how it is done and the relationship between cat and owner.
This is clearly a brilliant relationship and Andrey took a lot of precautions to make sure Graf was okay. Of course Graf had no choice. The upside is that he is with his human companion in a very close relationship during a novel experience.
I think this helps to create an even closer bond. I feel that Graf enjoyed this. After the failed attempt the pair went on holiday for two weeks at a Crimean seaside resort.
