The setup was painfully simple — Crompton simply strapped a GoPro camera to the top of his hapless pet’s head, and then proceeded as usual with every cat’s favorite game of “chase the tiny red dot that disappears every time you think you’ve caught it.” And boy, does Trip the GoPro Cat chase. The adventure takes the feline all throughout the residence in what must be the single best form of exercise any animal can get. Even watching the footage is exhausting (and a bit nauseating too, if you suffer from any sort of motion sickness whatsoever).
Best of all, however, is the responsible pet ownership that Crompton displays at the end of Trip’s fruitless laser chasing ordeal. As many cat behavioralists have pointed out, it is crucial to allow your feline to feel some sense of accomplishment at the end of a play session, giving them something tangible to hold on to (or attack or bite, really).
As Marilyn Krieger told Cat Channel, “Play is an extension of the hunt. When cats play, they need to frequently catch their play-prey objects. Although, in real life cats don’t enjoy success every time they hunt, they do catch their prey enough times, giving them both the satisfaction of the hunt and a meal.”
So kudos, Crompton, for both giving the Internet a taste of a cat’s world, and giving Trip a taste of victory.
