If I say an animal, any animal, there is always going to be an association of that animal that pops in your head.
Lets play a game and see what comes up first for you (my answers are on the right). Say the first think that comes to mind, ready? Go!
Snail ------------------------------------------- shell
Bird -------------------------------------------- wings
Lion -------------------------------------------- roar
Dog --------------------------------------------- fetch
Cat ---------------------------------------------- climb
The first thing that came to mind for me when I typed cat was climb. Probably because as I was cooking breakfast this morning Lilo jumped on top of the fridge and then started prancing around the high roofs of my cabinets. He was making it seem easy and glorious like a trapeze artist.
In the wild they are both a predator and the prey, therefore being up high has evolved to become an instinctual need for our domesticated cats. The Proailurus was the first true cat. It lived in the rain forest and it was built to climb. Being able to climb would provide an advantage when escaping from predators and at the same time an advantage to lie in wait for prey.
These behaviours were highly valued for their survival and thus remained ingrained in their biological and evolutionary makeup.
Climbing’s main benefit to your cat is a sense of protection, calm and relaxation. In today’s world of the domesticated cat you’ll find your kitty climbing your fridge for:
Mental stimulation
Environment observation
Some quiet, calm time
Protection from other cats, pets and people
Avoiding confrontation with other cats
Take a look at your kitty and tell me they’re not built for jumping.
They have large, strong muscles in their hindquarters and back which gives them explosive power to leap up to 5 times their height either vertically or horizontally.
Whilst they’re in the air, their flexible musculoskeletal system ensures not only that the jumps are high but that they can balance and keep exceptional coordination whilst airborne – this is why they always look so graceful.
You can always tell that each cat leap is calculated down to a tee, they stare at where they want to go and their body does the rest. Sometimes with lack of experience, mishaps do happen and we get glorious videos like this one because of it.
In a multi-cat household the reasons to be high are a bit different. There exists a cat hierarchy, believe it or not. Usually the cat that resides on the highest perch is the most dominant. It is extremely important to have a lot of vertical space in a multi-cat household to avoid any conflicts between your kitties.
In your house it's important to make it as enriching as possible for your cat. Using the Dental Wand can keep your cat's teeth clean and reduce stress-related behaviours.
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