It’s not unusual to see a dog hiking with their humans in the Swiss Alps, but a cat is a whole different story.
Cyril and Erik Rohrer had just set out for a hiking and skiing trek to the 10,000-foot summit of Mt. Britsen in Switzerland when they heard a tiny meow in the darkness.
“It was 4:30 a.m., at around 1200 meters (.7 miles), when we heard a cat in the dark forest. She made a really scared and confused impression,” Cyril said. “But we couldn’t get rid of her while walking uphill. So she stayed with us.”
As the two of them continued up the steep mountain trail, the tabby cat followed them tenaciously. They figured she must be lost because they were so far from civilization.
Both hikers were impressed by the cat’s stamina and drive to continue on her journey.
“She started to shiver, and her paws began to bleed from the hard snow. Sometimes we picked her up and carried her when she was too exhausted to walk uphill anymore,” Cyril said. “We were definitely confused. I felt really sorry for the cat. She was really exhausted on the ridge underneath the summit.”
Cyril and Erik planned to ski down from the top of the mountain, so once they reached the summit, they passed the cat off to some other hikers who were on their way back down. Those Good Samaritans carried the feline all the way to the bottom. When they arrived, they managed to find her owners and return her home safely!
Later, Cyril and Erik learned that the cat had gone missing four days before they began their trek. In fact, she had already followed another group of athletes up the mountain before she met up with them. Maybe this wasn’t an accident after all… maybe she just likes hiking?
The experience made Cyril appreciate how tough animals can be. “They are way tougher than humans,” he concluded. “They’ll never give up.”
This cat is one tough cookie! Hiking 10,000 feet two times in four days? What a legend! Thank you to all of the hikers who took her under their wings to help her get home safely.
Don’t forget to share this story to recognize this determined pet.
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