M'sian man, 42, runs 10km with 7.5kg cat chilling on shoulders the whole time

They say men tend to find their best friends in dogs, but that's because they haven't managed to get their cats out of the house yet.

One man in Malaysia, who did, discovered that his cat Jibek actually made a great running buddy.

In a TikTok video uploaded on Oct. 28, the 42-year-old documented his time at "The Magnificent Baling 100" race held in Kedah, where he ran 10km with Jibek on his shoulders.

Cat "runs" 10km

The video began with Apak and Jibek posing at the starting line, looking like they had done this a million times before.

When the competition kicked off, Apak forged on through various terrains with Jibek draped languidly across his shoulders.

There were times when Jibek would lean forwards, as if helping his owner strain towards the finish line.

When the sun became too glaring, Jibek was shielded from the elements with a cute bucket hat.

The cat looked like he was going to fall asleep towards the end.

Responding to commenters, Apak revealed that Jibek weighed 7.5kg.

But the man never seemed fazed by the additional weight on his shoulders.

Speaking to Mothership, Apak shared that the cat mostly "remained calm on [his] back, enjoying the view".

"Once a while I will feed him to make sure he is in a good mood... I also brought a portable fan, umbrella, and raincoat in case the weather was not so good," he said.

He added that the cat would only jump off his back if he needed a toilet break.

Both man and cat later received a medal for completing the race.

Jibek was hefted up lion-king style in celebration.

Man and cat vs the world

Jibek began accompanying Apak out on hikes in 2017.

"Jibek has already conquered about 50 mountains and hills around Malaysia," said Apak of the seven-year-old feline.

After several years of scaling mountains, the man and cat set their eyes on more even terrain.

"We started participating in running events in 2022 for fun and to stay fit," Apak said.

The man and his cat have since taken part in 45 such events.

The pair are hoping to break their 15km record in their next marathon.

But the way Apak sees it, not every race you run is to win.

Some people like him are happy just running with their best friend on their shoulders.

Meanwhile, the cat spends the journey soaking in the vibes and generally doing what cats do best — that is to say, nothing.

Top images jibek.hikers.cat/TikTok