Photo Credit: Kristine Øihauge. Website: https://www.nrk.no/innlandet/her-er-kjendiskatten-pa-tur-pa-venabygdsfjellet-1.17077984
On the mountain called Venabygdsfjellet in Ringebu, Norway, a small animal has won the hearts of locals and tourists alike. This animal is an adorable gray cat named Ida, who lives in the nearby area.
Ida first came to the mountain area in 2023 and was meant to be a stable cat at Venabu mountain hotel. Her job was to catch mice alongside another cat named Emil. However, Ida seems to have found another exciting hobby to fill her time: hiking!
At first, Ida would take walks to the local grocery store, which was about one kilometer away. Then, she became a little more adventurous and as tourists would walk by the stables and start their hikes, Ida would join along. Some of her trips have spanned multiple days before her owner, Ingeborg Victoria Tvete, would see her again.
As Ida’s travels continued, Ingeborg decided to fashion her with a GPS collar to see what the cat was keeping herself busy with instead of searching for mice. To Ingeborg’s surprise, Ida was walking up to 18 kilometers per day.
There has never been a dull moment with Ida. In fact, there have been reports of Ida chasing dogs, playing soccer with tourists, and riding down the mountain in tourists’ cars. She is quite the celebrity on the mountain and is an endearing sight for all.
Maren Lunde, of Lundes Turisthandel says Ida comes into her shop almost weekly and acts like a person: “She kept dropping in at home if the door was open. Ida has gradually become a nice mascot for Venabygdsfjellet and we are very happy with her.”
Although Ida may not be fulfilling her role of keeping the mice away from horses in the stables, she sure is enriching the lives of those lucky enough to meet her.