After much ado about dogs at crags last week, I had a new pet experience while climbing this weekend: crag kitty.
My pal Piper and I spotted a cat at the campground at Rifle Saturday morning as we nursed our coffees — no biggie. But we were surprised when the same kitty showed up at the crag as we flaked the rope.
Asia, the crag kitty, is a Bengal that her owner David takes on climbing trips. Crag kitty stays near David. She doesn’t mind a leash. She crosses creeks to get to crags. And if it’s cold and raining — like it was this weekend — she’ll approach you slowly then politely paw your leg before stepping up into your lap to stay warm.
Crag kitty rocked.
Right after crag kitty left, some climbers with a dog walked into the area. Crag dog dug obsessively under a nearby stump and sprayed dirt and mud everywhere.
We left and followed crag kitty to the next route.
Crag Kitty is awesome! I'd much rather see Asia than a dirt-digging dog at the crag. Thanks for the photos and story.
Loved this crag kitty story, particularly the stream crossing image. It is my dream to take my cat about like a dog (only, better than a dog!) Reminds me of a great big cat I once met on Maui whose owner brought him to Paluea Beach on a very long leash. Almost every evening at sunset this guy would arrive with his lunky tom cat and his beach chair. Saw them there for a few years, each time we visited. I wonder what happened to that cat…