A cat guides an injured walker back to safety after he had lost his way in the Alps

The Hungarian man became disorientated and when he thought he had found his route it was actually blocked. He was walking in the mountains near Gimmelwald in Switzerland, and because it was the end of ski season the lifts were not working and some of the trails (like the one he knew) were closed. The walker then decided to rest and try to figure out how he would make it back to the village.

By a fortunate stroke of luck, a friendly local cat guided him to safety, the man said that the cat would keep looking at him, almost like she was telling him to follow her, and she led him straight to a path which took him back to the valley where he could treat his strain and relax.

The walker posted his experience on Reddit and to everybody’s surprise, a video dating back to 2013 was linked which apparently showed an encounter with the hero black cat. Soon after comments on the site also revealed that even more people had seen or been approached by the little cat.

The black and white cat belongs to a couple who own a hostel near to where the lone walker was lost. His post got a lot of comments and attention on Reddit, you can find it here.

The top comment says “Just one of many brave and dedicated Swiss Guide Cats doing its duty, asking nothing but a friendly pat in return.” What a beautiful little hero kitty.

How do cats know there way around?

Cats possess extraordinary sensory perception which is why they always seem to make their way home. But what senses do they put to work to have this amazing skill?

They have on average 19 million scent receptors which, is pretty impressive when you realise humans only have 5 million. Your cat can probably smell its way home a lot of the time.

Cats also hear sounds that are two octaves higher than what most humans can hear, this means they may be able to hear ambient sounds which could lead them to somewhere they are familiar with.

It is thought that cats can impressively detect the earth’s gravitational field, this sounds really strange but this is a skill which birds have too. This would give cats an  inherent sense of direction without even needing any visual signs.

Of course, their magical whiskers play a part in their amazing navigational skills. Every single whisker receives information from their surrounding environment and sends it to your cat’s brain which definitely helps with tracking.

All of these incredible almost superhuman qualities make cats amazing with directions, maybe our satnavs should take a few tips from our little feline companions.

Have you ever had an experience with a cat where they helped you find your way? Or has a cat you know ever found its way home from a busy or far away place? We would love to hear your stories.