Have you ever felt the master's gaze?
On the fridge...
Pictured from: Youtube
On the wardrobe...
And heaven...
There are no high places that cats can't reach, only distant places that the shoveler can't touch.
So, how do they achieve "flat take-off"?
Cats have excellent jumping power, and the jump height is about 5-6 times their height.
The average height of a cat is 23-25 cm (9-10 inches), which means that the cat can easily jump around an altitude of 1.5 meters.
Savannah has excellent jumping ability and can easily exceed 1.5 meters in height Picture from: 子猫のへや
When the cat is ready to jump, there will be a very deep crouch, the lifting of the forelimbs, and finally, the explosive extension of the front and back of the jump.
Typical stages of the cat take-off phase before jumping: (a) squat, (b) intermediate take-off and (c) full extension of the torso and hind limbs during take-off. Imaged from: Citation 1
(1) Cat jump high experiment
As early as 2002, researchers did experiments to study what factors affect the height of cats' jumps.
Experimental process
➤ The experiment selected 18 cats of different sexes and weights. The scope of the study included: hind leg length, body weight, fat ratio, muscle mass, muscle type, and the speed at which the foot left the ground when jumping.
Length of cat's hind legs: femur + tibia + soles Of feet Pictured from: bing
➤ Introduce the cat into a glass cabinet as shown in the image below. "Lure" in through the small door on the right and stand on a platform (the height of the platform is adjustable). The cat jumps from this platform to the top left of the platform. Each time the cat successfully jumps to the platform on the upper left side, it can step out of the glass cabinet.
➤ The researchers then lowered the jumping platform by another 5-10 cm, and the cat jumped from the platform to the top left.
When the cat pulls its entire body to the upper left platform with its forearm, each successful jump is over
➤ Each cat will repeat the process, jumping 5-10 times in total.
➤ Calculate the maximum vertical jump height of each cat, and the height of the highest jump is +5cm.
➤ To minimize the effect of fatigue on jump height, no more than 10 training sessions per session.
(2) Experimental results
The researchers found that the longer the hind legs + the lower the body fat rate, the stronger the cat's jumping power.
Imaged from: Citation 1
The cat's hind legs are explosive, with an interval of only 150-270 milliseconds from the start of the squat to the start of the jump. In addition, muscle mass and muscle type had no significant effect on the speed of the take-off.
Image from: gifer
The cat's hind legs are muscular There are usually two types of muscle fibers in the muscles, one is slow muscle fiber and the other is fast muscle fiber. The iix type of muscle fiber is most abundant in cats' hind legs, which is characterized by "easy fatigue but instantaneous exertion of very strong force."
Because of such muscle composition, cats are good at "high jump", "sprinting short distances", "jumping to target prey" and other actions. But on the contrary, activities that require endurance, such as long-distance running like dogs, cats will not try. One of the reasons cats get tired and lie down after about 10 minutes of sleeping or playing all day is that their hind leg muscles tend to feel tired.
Cats prefer safe, sturdy, and comfortable heights where they can exercise, nap, climb, play, observe their surroundings and avoid potential dangers.
(1) Indoors
If the cat lives indoors, and if there is not enough space in the home for the cat to achieve "jumping freedom", then consider satisfying the cat's love of jumping by adding vertical space to the house.
➤ Cat climbing frame: The height of the cat climbing frame is preferably greater than the maximum extension height of the cat
● Placed by the window to facilitate the cat to observe the outdoors or the place where the cat usually likes
● It is best to have an enclosed space on the cat climbing frame for the cat to feel comfortable and protected
➤ Cat Lane: A "cat lane" that can be purchased or built on a wall (make sure the shelves are firm and wide enough)
(2) Outdoor
➤ If the home is a villa with an exclusive small garden, you can buy (or build) a cat super skybridge in the garden, or you can add some different kinds of cat climbing frames around.
(3) What is the danger of cat jumping high?
Due to the cat's innate nature, the cat will jump up to catch it when it sees something moving, or jump up various heights in the home out of curiosity.
Therefore, it is best to take some preventive measures to prevent the cat from being injured due to jumping.
(4) The environment where the cat jumps high is safe
➤ Balcony window closure: Cats may jump out of the balcony because of curiosity about things outside the balcony (be sure to close the window!). Be sure to close the windows! Be sure to close the windows! )
➤ Stable cat climbing frame: ensure that the cat climbing frame can withstand the "fatal blow" of obese cats
➤ Collect items: On any platform that the cat may jump on, do not place fragile items, heavy objects or food (to prevent the cat from accidentally eating)
How to avoid cats jumping on the high platform with safety hazards:
✔ Spray the cat's dislike in that place: orange peel juice, for example
✔ You can attach an aluminum foil to the edge of the cat's jump (cats don't like the sound and touch of nails touching the aluminum foil)
✔ Play with the cat at home and consume the cat's energy
✔ Put more toys on the floor that the cat is interested in
✔ Positive Intensive Training: Whenever the cat wants to jump high, throw the toy on the floor to attract the cat's attention, or directly use snacks to lure the cat away
One of the miracles of living with a cat is to be struck by their powerful athletic abilities.
Cats are curious animals, and with the help of indoor furniture and their strong hind legs, cats can reach places we can't imagine...
Therefore, providing cats with suitable vertical space can not only reduce the number of times the cat jumps on other high places in the home, but also meet the needs of cats and increase the happiness of cats
【Director Interaction in this issue】
Does your cat like to jump high?
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Source:
[1]https://journals.biologists.com
[2]https://www.konekono-heya.com
[3]https://catbehaviorassociates.com
Editor-in-Charge: LNS
This article is the original of the Cat Research Institute, and it is not allowed to be reproduced arbitrarily