China - Bao Zi is one special cat, skilled in a sport that few would expect a furry fellow like him to even compete in. How did he become the fastest skateboarding cat in the world, and why?

Skateboarding is not usually the domain of an animal, but animal world records of skating kitties and skating doggos have become wildly popular in recent years. Having skated 328 feet in nearly 20 seconds, Otto may be the greatest canine skateboarder, but who is Bao Zi, his feline equivalent? Let's take a look.

Bao Zi, a beautiful American Shorthair from China, set the title for the fastest 10 meters (33 feet) on a skateboard by a cat when he made it in only 12.85 seconds. The extraordinary achievement was caught on camera, showing the furry fellow speeding along on his wild white skateboard.

Described as "daring and adorable" by Guinness World Records, who awarded him the record in an article published on May 24, 2024, Bao Zi is only one year and eight months old, giving him plenty of time to work on the already-remarkable record.

Bao Zi is owned by one Li Jiangtao, a seasoned pet trainer who usually works with dogs and didn't initially realize the potential living within his feline friend's bones. Originally, Li had got himself the kitty to help deal with a mouse problem, but he quickly realized that he had found himself a wild cat full of adventure and curiosity!

Over the months that followed, Li taught Bao Zi all sorts of different tricks, not just involving simple tasks like rolling over and climbing but also more complicated deeds that included shaking paws, jumping through hoops, and even ringing people's doorbells.

His magnum opus, of course, is his ability to skateboard genuinely long distances. Bao Zi's extraordinary 12.85 second run will go down in history as one of the greatest animal world records of all time.

Li has been training animals for years, primarily focusing on dogs rather than cats, and has even managed to train his canine companions to ride skateboards. It was against this backdrop that he decided it was time to challenge his feline friend and get into the cat skating business.

"I've been training dogs for over a decade, and I started skateboarding with my own dog for fun," explained Li to Guinness World Records. "But Bao Zi showed a keen interest in skateboards, so I decided to nurture this behavior."

It turned out that, following a successful escape attempt that saw Bao Zi walk the streets for a week, Li's little feline absolutely adored the outdoors and liked being challenged. In fact, Li said that Bao Zi has a love for adventure that's hard to compare with other kitties.

"Bao Zi loves it when I take him out for adventures. At home, he's a lazy fur ball, but at the skate park, he's a different cat – confident and daring, weaving through crowds with ease."

Quite apart from the cat's extraordinary skill, one of Bao Zi's greatest claims to fame is his ability to make people happy. His loving owner refers to him as a "Ray of light in the darkness" and says that he brings "joy to so many people."

Bao Zi is one of the world's coolest skateboarders, and also one of the world's cutest. No matter how long he holds his record, this is one moment of glory to remember!