The 7-Year-Old Cat Who Rides Chairlifts, Skis Greens: ‘Gary the Cat’ Heads to Calgary
This 7-year-old domestic longhair rescue not only loves to get outside and hike and swim (already strange pastimes for a cat), but he even skis, too.
This is quite possibly the content we all need right now: a heart-warming, feel-good story about a cat who skis (with his owner, of course).
Years ago, Gary’s owner, James Eastham, began to notice Gary’s adventurous spirit, and started bringing him along on his outdoor adventures along with his other pets (dogs). And of course, when you have a cat that hikes, swims, sleds, canoes, mountaineers, and skis, you’ve gotta post one up for the ‘gram. Now, Gary the Cat has a healthy following of 434K people worldwide.
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Here’s a quick intro as to how skiing with Gary works, according to Gary’s owner:
- Step 1: Getting Gary used to riding on his shoulders, and general adventures outside
- Step 2: Be a strong skier before taking Gary onto the slopes. Also, ski slowly and stick to easy runs to further reduce any risk.
- Step 3: Introduce Gary to skiing slowly to let him experience it for the first time in a controlled setting.
- Step 4: Get permission to bring Gary to the resort, and avoid crowded and peak times. (If you’ve got a cat that wants to ski, it’ll need a “pass” to the resort, just like us humans.)
When he’s not meowtaineering or cat skiing (literally!), you can find Gary the Cat close to home, riding the chairlift and cruising groomers at Nakiska Ski Resort in Calgary, Alberta.
Even more impressive, Gary is a rescue cat, and is actually missing a hip. “I think it’s great that even disabled kitties can still have great lives,” said Eastham.
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