(and became a social media star along the way)
Now that's a wild cat!
- Burma, the two-and-a-half year old cat from Oregon has ventured up peaks from California to America's East Coast
- A huge 26,000 people follow the feline on social media - which has so far shared more than 1,300 pictures of Burma
- The cat was adopted aged eight-weeks from a homeless woman and joined owner Stephen Simmons on his travels
This feline has gone places most humans can only dream of.
Instagram-famous,
Burma the cat, has spent two and a half years scaling some of America's
most iconic peaks alongside owner Stephen Simmons and dog companion,
Puppi.
The two-year-old cat has racked up a huge 26,000 followers on social media during his adventures through snow, wind and rain.
Burma the adventure cat strides along a
log in the Grand Teton National Park in north west state, Wyoming, with
peaks in the background
The cat (pictured on Cascade volcano in Oregon) doesn't know the difference between 14,000ft and the ground says owner Stephen
Pictured on the Ruby Mountains in Nevada, Burma the cat is the inspiration behind the Adventure Cat Instagram hastag
The
two-and-a-half year old feline wanders through snow in Oregon (left) and
across rocks and sand (right) towards owner Stephen
He
carried the cat on a short walk into the forest before setting him -
where surprisingly, the moggy appeared extremely comfortable.
Since
then, the pair - along with Puppi - have documented their travels from
peaks in California and Oregon to across the East Coast. Burma has even
paid a visit to Central Park.
Burma treads carefully as he scales
the Siskiyou Mountains - a coastal mountain range in the northern
Klamath Mountains in California
Stephen has documented Burma's travels
from California and Oregon to the East Coast - Burma has even visited
Central Park in New York (above)
The original 'adventure cat' settles
down at sunset in Oregon after a long day or climbing with partners
Stephen and Puppi the dog
Pictured in Grand Teton National Park,
Wyoming, the cat has racked up a huge 26,000 followers on social media
during his adventures
Shortly after the launch of '@burmaadverturecat'
Stephen began hastagging 'adventurecat' - a trend which soon caught on
and saw thousands clicking follow to join the trio on their journeys.
Stephen said: 'It was my way of life and that's all I had to offer him.
'Running and climbing mountains had become an escape and something I needed, something that was good for me.
'Burma
doesn't seem to know the difference between the top of 14,000ft steep
summit spire and a more common place, like a simple trail through the
forest.'
Stephen revealed Burma has been interested in mountaineering since a very young age. Pictured on the Juan mountains in Colorado
Burma the adventure cat strolls casually along Mount Tuke in Utah. He has a massive 1,350 images of him on Instagram
He
added: 'Initially Burma's 'adventurecat' hashtag was unique to him and
our lifestyle, and it's my belief that's where the title Adventure Cat
started.
'Back
then, if I clicked the hashtag, Burma's pictures were the only cat
pictures that came up - with the occasional rare exception.
'Then it started catching on in the next year with other cats being referred to as adventure cats.'
In the southwest desert, Burma leaps from rock to rock as he hikes under the watchful eye of thousands of fans
Stephen said: 'It was my way of life
and that's all I had to offer him. Running and climbing mountains had
become an escape and something I needed, something that was good for
me.' (Pictured running through the snow in Oregon)
Pictured in the Oregon wilderness. 'Initially Burma's 'adventurecat' hashtag was unique to him and our lifestyle'
This
month, a website is set to be launched dedicated purely to Adventure
Cats, offering information on leash and harness training and outdoor
safety tips for cat owners.
say that they have already spoken to owners from the likes of Sweden, Russia, Australia and across North America. Adventurecats.org
Laura
Moss, editor and co-founder of AdventureCats.org, said: 'I think there
have always been people who take their cats on walks or hikes, but now
it's just become more well-known because of social media, especially
with photo-sharing sites and apps like Instagram.
Stephen connects the cat to a lead when they are climbing up high peaks - such as Mount Tuke in Utah (above)
Bravely jumping across sky-high rocks, Burma has travelled and claimed some of Americas most scenic peaks
'Back then in 2013, if I clicked the hashtag, Burma's (pictured in Oregon) pictures were the only cat pictures that came up'
'While
outdoor excursions are great ways to exercise your cat or to address
behavioural issues caused by boredom, I think one of the most positive
things that can come out of Adventure Cats is busting stereotypes about
cats and their owners.
'Often,
cats are thought of as lazy and aloof - seeing cat owners engage with
their animals in the great outdoors is a wonderful way to change
people's minds about what it means to be a cat owner.
'I've
interviewed people who take their cats on all kinds of adventures from
camping in Canada to rock climbing in Colorado and surfing in Hawaii.'
Stephen, 49, adopted eight-week-old
Burma (pictured scaling the canyons in Utah) from a homeless woman
during the winter of 2013
Burma the adventure cat does not look impressed as the tide comes in at York beach in Maine (pictured above)
This month, a website is set to be
launched dedicated purely to Adventure Cats, offering information on
leash and harness training and outdoor safety tips for cat owners
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