Lalah was rescued as a young kitten from the side of the road in Okinawa City, Japan. Her rescuer, local resident Mitsuru Goan, was the owner of the Boulbaka climbing gym.
After the rescue, the man decided to give the kitty shelter right at the gym. He thought that Lala would make a wonderful furry “administrator” who would happily greet visitors at the entrance.
“I decided to shelter her in the gym,” Mitsuru Goan, the gym’s owner, told The Dodo. “Since then, she has been a manager of our facility, saying ‘Meow!’ to visitors every day.”
And so it turned out – Lala became the main star of the gym. Everyone knew her here, and here she grew from a small kitten into a beautiful adult kitty. Cats are those who like to crawl, and Lala is no exception. From an early age she started exploring all the shelves, ropes, and rocks in the hall.
“She got the confidence to try,” Goan said. “Then she started to touch those holds on the wall for bouldering — trying to go higher.”
Watching the climbers, Lala once decided to try rock climbing herself, which the owner of the gym videotaped. Time after time she “practiced,” and one day she made it all the way to the top. However, she soon lost interest in the wall and continued her daily chores at the gym.
“She still climbs up the rope up to the ceiling, about 16 feet high, to have a workout,” Goan said. “Maybe she is ready for a new challenge.”
Currently, Lala is happy, healthy, and loved by her caretaker and gym visitors. Thanks to the kind man who once didn’t leave her in trouble!