The question “How do cats jump so high?” is practically always asked by pet owners who wonder how fluffy can get up that high from the ground or how come their kittens are not very playful these days.
Jumping is an activity that requires a leap of a few stairs or even a few feet. It takes strength and flexibility of the legs and also some different ligaments in the spine.
For felines, the jumping ability mostly depends on how well their leg muscles are attached. In general, good jumping animals have long, flexible legs and strong forelimbs, with no longer than two for the front legs.
Some jumping animals, like kangaroos, have longer leg muscles than cats, and they can have even more powers in the tail, which enables them to jump even further.
Other animals that can jump high include white-tailed deer, big asses, elephants, hippopotamuses, porpoises, and even dogs.
Humans have evolved to the same extreme, although we don’t have as many joints in our lower back and abdomen as those felines have.
Factors to Determine Cats Jumping Ability
A cat jumping height is usually determined by a combination of its size, structure, and the amount of muscle fiber in its body.
Small cats have fewer muscle fibers in their bodies than larger ones, meaning that they have less overall flexibility. They also have shorter legs, so their leaping ability is less.
Bigger cats have larger muscle fibers and tend to have more flexibility. These animals are more likely to be able to jump much higher.
But, if a cat is small or medium-sized, it has more ability than its counterparts to jump even over a short distance.
Do cats understand Heights?
A cat’s jumping height can be improved by adding as many different muscle groups to its frame as possible. If you don’t already have large, strong legs, it is time to do something about that.
You can add a few pounds to your current weight, as this will make your body’s structure and muscles bigger, thus enabling it to add some vertical distance to its jumps.
And, a little more weight can help those cats with skinny legs as well.
how do cats jump up in the trees? Are cats good climbers?
Some owners wonder how do cats jump up in the trees? Most cats jumping power comes from their long muscles rather than their short, flexible legs. How do cats climb down trees?
And, even though your cat is just a few inches tall, its long muscles can still work wonders. To learn how to do cats jump so high in the trees, you should start with your cat lounging in a baby gate.
Place a baby gate on the top rungs of the baby tree, and place your cat inside the baby gate.
Start lifting your cat by putting its front legs on your chest and its hind legs on your legs. Because cats use their longer jumping muscles for such purposes, lift your cat’s legs one at a time using your forearm muscles.
This exercise will force your cat’s muscles to work and work them hard – forcing them to develop leg muscles far beyond what they would normally use.
Hot To Train Your Cat To Jump?
If your cat does not like being lifted in the air but would rather jump down instead, you should try to train your cat to jump using a baby gate and your leg muscles.
Again, lift your cat using your forearm muscles. Kittens jump higher than cats because they are born with less muscle mass when they are kittens, so kittens are also a good candidate for jumping up into trees.
Older cats can start working on their jumping skills by simply raising themselves onto their hind legs, so you can see how cats jump so high in the trees.
If you think that your cat’s jump ability is improving as you train them, then there may be an underlying issue that needs to be addressed.
IN SUMMARY
It could be that your cat’s muscles are just too big to execute the jumping exercise safely. In this case, you should try to work on stretching those muscles.
If you prefer to skip training and just let your cats naturally jump high in the trees, then make sure that you purchase a sturdy cat tree with large branches for your kittens to climb on and large gaps at the top for your cats to run through.
