How Do Cats Jump So High? Cat Physiology Explained

In the event you’ve owned cats for any size of time, you in all probability are properly conscious of how nice at leaping they’re. They’ll clear kitchen cabinets simply and infrequently don’t let the highness of different tall surfaces, corresponding to bookshelves, deter them from conquering new heights.

However how is it that such a small creature can soar so excessive? You’ll be able to thank their physiology for that! Learn on to be taught extra about how a cat’s physique is designed to assist them soar extraordinarily excessive.

How Can Cats Bounce So Effectively?

As onerous as it might be to imagine, all domesticated cats are direct descendants of the wildcat, a tree-dwelling species. These cats wanted to evolve to leap swiftly to excessive perches to flee predators, relaxation, and observe the world round them. To change into the extremely gifted hunters they had been, in addition they wanted to have the ability to soar, twist, and switch. Whereas your cats don’t must hunt to offer meals for themselves or soar to flee predators, they’ve nonetheless retained most of the anatomical options of their wild ancestors.

What Physiological Options Assist Cats Bounce?

Highly effective Hind Legs

A cat’s capability to leap excessive comes from their highly effective hind leg muscle tissues. Their robust and lengthy hind legs and fast-twitch muscle fibers are designed to assist fast bursts of motion. Moreover, the angle of their hind legs offers shock absorption for touchdown.

Secure Entrance Legs

A cat’s entrance legs play simply as vital a job in leaping as their again legs. After they soar, their entrance legs lengthen to achieve towards what they’re leaping for the second their hind legs begin to propel them ahead. Their entrance legs present much-needed stability.

Sturdy Muscle groups

Although they’re much smaller than us, a cat’s physique has simply 100 fewer muscle tissues than people. Their muscle fibers are a lot stronger than ours, nevertheless, which is what provides them the power to leap a number of instances their very own peak, even from a seated place.

Versatile Spines

Cats have over 200 bones all through their our bodies, 23 of that are of their tail and 30 of their backbone. Their extremely versatile spines enable them to arch their our bodies, offering the power to course appropriate in the midst of their jumps. Often known as the “righting reflex”, this ability is what permits cats to orient themselves whereas falling in order that they land on their ft.

Sturdy Sense of Stability

Cat paws are cushiony and comprise dozens of nerve receptors. These receptors enable them to evaluate which floor would be the finest to leap from whereas additionally enhancing their steadiness. A cat’s inside ear system, tail, and versatile backbone additionally assist with steadiness.

How Far and Excessive Do Cats Bounce?

Wholesome grownup cats can jump vertically around five or six times their body length, wherever between six and eight ft. After all, each cat is totally different, and a number of other components can play a job in how far your cat can soar, together with their age, breed, and well being.

The longest horizontal soar by a cat, a minimum of based on the Guinness E book of World Data, is 7 ft. This feat was achieved by a California kitty named Waffle the Warrior Cat in January 2018.

How Excessive Can Cats Bounce In comparison with Different Animals?

It’s fascinating to check the home cat’s leaping prowess with that of different animals, particularly once we’re concurrently evaluating weight.

Check out this chart beneath to see simply how completed your kitties are at leaping, taking their small weight under consideration.

Remaining Ideas

Wholesome grownup cats can soar vertically six to eight ft, because of their distinctive physique physiology. Their highly effective legs, robust muscle tissues, and flexible spines are only a small a part of what makes cats such nice jumpers. It’s these traits that additionally assist cats reorientate themselves mid-air and land on their feet. Their our bodies could also be however little, however they positive are fascinating and able to unbelievable issues.

Featured Picture Credit score: Juhani Kovanen, Shutterstock