Russian Cat Makes Parachute Jump

The Russians were the first to put an animal in space, but unfortunately for Laika the dog, he never made it back to Earth. Now a skydiving enthusiast, sixty-year-old pensioner Vladimir Kulikov from Novgorod, Russia has achieved another first for his country by taking his cat skydiving.

Interviewed after the jump, Kulikov was extremely proud of his feline friend who goes by the name of Malysh. "He didn't even pee himself, unlike a lot of people do the first time they jump".

Apparently, they had been preparing for the jump for five years, but Mr. Kulikov does not go into detail as to what this training may have entailed, other than to say that he personally sewed a jumpsuit and mittens for Malysh.

On reaching terra firma, the cat was presented with a certificate as a souvenir of the great day. Mr. Kulikov added that he now intends to begin work on a special parachute so that Malysh can jump solo, the only problem, he says, is that he is not quite sure how the cat will pull the cord. See footage below.