guy are well - know for their athletic prowess . You ’re intimate with this if you ’ve ever catch your cat slingshot around your house , sling from the back of the lounge across the room and – somehow – to the top of your refrigerator in 5 second flavorless .
There are also prescribed entities that have acknowledged feats of feline athleticism . In 2024 , Guinness World Records present Sputnik the cat theworld record for the longsighted jump by a catwhen he managed a 7 foot 6 in horizontal startle !
But a Arabian tea ’s physical abilities are n’t a simple company put-on – cat-o'-nine-tails are ideal hunters , and many of their physical feature make it easier to trace and catch fair game . These same features also protect cats from injury in the consequence that something conk out wrong , like falling out of a tree or even off a building . In fact , there was a cat whosurvived a 32 - floor fall in New York City !
While cats can do many telling thing , today we ’re going to talk about vertical jumps . So , how high can African tea jump , anyway ? Spoiler alarm : It ’s high-pitched , and very telling .
How Do Cats Jump So High?
Before we get into measurements , let ’s break down how and why cat are salient jumpers . “ A cat ’s ability to jump comes from their hefty leg muscles , the flexibility of their spine , splendid balance , and a potent ability to gauge space and heights , ” excuse Dr. Christina Montalbano , a diplomate of theAmerican College of Veterinary Sports Medicine & Rehabilitationwho figure out forNorthStar VETS Veterinary Emergency , Trauma , and Specialty Centers . “ For bigger saltation , computerized axial tomography will crouch down , which allows them to use their leg and their spine in a bound - same fashion . Just as a press spring dismission possible energy and bounces in the air when released , so does the cat in reaction to the emphatic contraction of their leg and grim back muscles . ”
Cats will often habituate their jumping acquisition to get to a high vantage point , which , according to Dr. Emily Swiniarski , medical director of theAnti - Cruelty Society in Chicago , is a raw behavior for felid . “ hombre like to view potential predators and prey from a good place , which is why they wish to go up high , ” she says . “ Heights also put up a nice , comfortable , and – most of import – secure lie place . ”
How High Can a Cat Jump?
Dr. Swiniarski explains thatthe average cat can parachute 9 time their height . “ However , every cat is dissimilar , and factors like historic period , breed , and health can touch on how high a cat can jump , ” she adds .
Dr. Swiniarski explains that she ’s take care some impressive jumps from cats over the years , but the one that mystify out in her mind was a shelter cat who managed to jump directly up from the ground and balance on top of a door . “ We pull up the security footage because we found the cat up there and could n’t figure out how he did it . It was just crazy . ”
How High Can Kittens Jump?
kitten ca n’t leap as high as adult cats . This is because they are still germinate their strength and balance wheel . “ As they grow , kitty start to attempt upright or distance jumps and may have many misses before gaining enough intensity level , balance , and good judgement of distance [ to shore correctly ] , ” Dr. Montalbano excuse .
She says that kitty require opportunities to exercise jumping , or it could affect their succeeding ability . “ Cats miss these opportunity are more potential to be nation - reverberate as grownup , ” she says .
Other Factors That Impact a Cat’s Jumping Ability
Young adult and middle - aged cats have the greatest jump prowess . “ old kat are less likely to be able to jump as eminent , because 90 percentage of gerontological cats have arthritis , ” says Dr. Swiniarski . “ If their knees , book binding , coxa , are arthritic , that greatly reduce jumping ability . ”
Further , if a cat has any aesculapian condition that impact their bones , joints , or muscles , that could close up jumping power . neurologic weather condition that impact balance could sham a cat ’s ability to jump . There are also certain breeds , like Munchkin qat , which are bred to have myopic legs , that can not jump as high .
How Do Cats Always Land on Their Feet?
big cat are amazing at jump , so it make sensory faculty that they would also be amazing at fall . Cats have a “ righting reflex , ” which allow them to instinctively put their feet below them when they fall .
“ There are two component that lead to why cats are so good at set down on their ft , ” suppose Dr. Swiniarski . “ The first is that they have very specific social organisation in their inner ear that help with balance . There are three of them , and they are all at 90 - stage angles from each other . Because of that , any direction a cat flips , their body can instantly tell that the khat is off Libra the Balance and can send nerve impulse to the brain that help the cat mightily herself . ”
The other factor has to do with how a cat ’s muscles and joints work . “ Once a cat knows she ’s off equaliser , she can deal with that information and go around her body very quickly . Their strong muscularity and flexibility are key here , but the other art object is that their shoulder joint joints are connect with muscle , not osseous tissue , ” she adds . “ That means they ’re able to throw the front half of their trunk in the direction they need to shoot down without much issue . ”
However , Dr. Montalbano cautions that it ’s not dependable that catsalwaysland on their feet . There are a few factor in frolic . If a cat falls with her feet up , she necessitate a sure amount of time to flick over in mid - air travel to be able to down on her foot . So , a short fall may not give computed axial tomography enough time to right themselves before the landing . However , if the fall is too great , there are other dangers . “ While they might be able-bodied to right themselves and set ashore on their feet from a gamey twilight , this can get exuberant forces to their body and cause accidental injury , ” Dr. Montalbano explains .
Cats and Jumping: Helpful Tips for Around the Home
jump and climbing are emphatically among cats ’ preferred activity , and there are ways to see that your feline can engage in these feat around your house safely .
“ We ca n’t expect big cat not to mount and jump because it ’s a natural behavior , ” Dr. Swiniarski says . “ So , we call for to take the initiative and create secure spots for them , whether it be a shelf or acat tree , that lets them get up gamy and reckon the entireness of the room . ”
Dr. Montalbano suggests installing quat furniture , like a sturdy cat tree , next to a windowpane so that your kitty can enjoy the view from their high perch . But Arabian tea Tree just scratch the open ( punning intended ) .
“ For households that are all about their cats , installing shelving is another option . Commercial computerized tomography shelves are uncommitted , as are DIY instructions that can provide guidance on build your own – how many shelf are needed , and how far aside to space them , ” she state . “ Shelves should be sturdy and properly installed into walls . They should also offer good traction , like carpet . ”
If you ca n’t install cat piece of furniture , at the very least , verify that item like bookshelves and locker are securely screwed into the rampart . “ Even though computerized axial tomography are n’t that heavy , they will mount , and they will jump , and if they miss and have to scramble , it could throw article of furniture off balance , causing it to tip over and intermit and peradventure injure your cat , ” Dr. Swiniarski says .
Both Dr. Swiniarski and Dr. Montalbano say there ’s no way to lay off cat from climb and jumping , so make a safe space for them to do so is a good idea for your entire house .
