How High Can Cats Jump? What To Know About Cat’s Jumping

Not every cat can jump incredibly high. In spite of this, leaping is in your cats’ nature, even if your pet doesn’t do it. It all depends on specific things like your cats’ height and weight.

A healthy, average-sized, and young cat can jump about six times their height or around eight feet in a single jump because its muscles are strong. Nevertheless, we need to know that an obese or old cat will not have the same abilities or jumping power compared to other cats without health issues.

Why Are Cats So Good At Jumping?

Some studies say that cats’ back legs muscles are what makes them skilled and precise when jumping. The size of a cat’s limbs is significant too. However, it is not true that all cats can jump the same distance; mature or tiny cats can jump around 7.8 feet. At the same time, not all cats adore leaping as others do. If your cat is not that good at jumping, practice is crucial, and training will make it better.

Why Do Cats Jump Way Better Than Dogs?

Dogs and cats do not share the same body features. They do not have the same needs as cats. Even if a dog could bounce like a cat, they do not need to. If a dog tried to leap from a high place, it could not land like a cat because dogs do not have the necessary body parts to do it safely, leading to injury.

In contrast, cats aren’t as good at running as dogs. Just like you would not take your cat running with you, you should not force your dog to jump from a dangerous height.

How High Can Cats Jump Vertically?

The human Guinness Record for a vertical leap comes from a Chinese athlete that achieved an 8.07 feet jump with a hoop. On the other hand, cats can do a 5 feet vertical leap without any issue, running, or training. Five feet is a lot for a cat; keep in mind that the average length of a cat is 18 inches without the tail. Five feet is about seven times the length of a cat.

Can A Cat Jump A 6-foot Fence?

A cat in excellent physical condition can jump a 6-foot fence without any trouble. Cats are excellent climbers, which means that although they may not jump directly, they could crawl and jump to the other border of the fence. A suggestion for cat owners is building plastic walls; cats cannot climb on plastic because it is too slippery. Cats cannot grasp plastic, but they can climb on chain links or wood fences.

Can A Cat Jump An 8-foot Fence?

A cat can also jump an eight-foot fence. So if you do not want your feline climbing or jumping your wall, you will need to measure it to see if your cat could jump from one side to another. You can also assemble a fence for cats to make you feel secure and protect your pet. If your cat is too young, do not wait until they grow to build the fence because, as we already know, practice makes perfect. Your cat can learn how to jump higher relatively fast.

Can A Cat Jump 15 Feet?

Even though cats cannot jump fifteen feet, they can survive a fifteen feet fall. This situation happens because of the ability that they have to land with their feet on the ground. Cats are flexible, and they react fast. However, even if they can survive, you need to take care of your cat; falling too many times from high places can bring many physical problems and injuries to your cat.

How Do Cats Survive High Falls?

Cats’ reflexes are excellent. If you have your cat close, try to drop them. There are high possibilities that they will land on their feet. Cats fall because they are (most of the time) jumping too much, but that is why they are so good at landing. These feline pets are extraordinarily flexible, and they can turn around their bodies in seconds when they are falling.

Yet, landing on their feet is not always a great idea. Upon falling from an extreme height, they change their strategy and land on their bellies, making them less likely to suffer harm when they reach the ground. A study found that cats falling from the second to the seventh-floor land feet first. But from the seventh to above, the cats splay out and land belly first. Because of the strategy of belly-landing, injuries stay about the same from this height or even higher.

Will My Cat Try To Jump Off The Balcony?

Not necessarily, but they can fall from your balcony. Cats love walking on dangerous edges, and they can lose balance and fall. Some cat parents believe that they will survive with no problems or land on their feet if their cat falls. But the feet strategy does not work every time. Landing on their feet can cause some harm, and in some cases, it can be severe. If your cat lands in the wrong position, that will determine the consequences.

Your cat could survive a traumatic fall that may injure it severely, but not every cat can survive a high fall. Please, take care of your cat even if you think they could stay alive in a situation like this.

Which Cat Can Jump The Highest?

1. Ocicat: Their length goes from 9 to 11 inches. Ocicats are incredibly long, and they have strong limbs.
2. Manx: Manx are typically fourteen to sixteen inches, and they weigh from eight to twelve lbs. It is possible for them to live up to sixteen years.
3. Siamese: They have a body length of eleven and a half inches to fourteen inches. They weigh from eight to ten lbs.
4. Oriental: Oriental cats have the same length as Siamese cats, but the Oriental breed lives longer. The weight ranges between 9 and 14 pounds.
5. Savannah: It’s amazing how long these cats are. Their body length goes from twenty to twenty-two inches.
6. Somali: The Somali breed is also known as fox cats; their body length goes from eleven to fourteen inches. Long hair is also a characteristic of these animals.

Record For The Longest Jump In A Cat

In 2018, a cat in the United States of America received the Guinness Record for the longest jump performed by any feline. The name of the winner is Waffle, and he was ten years old. Seven feet was the height of the leap. This event happened in Big Sur, California.

Conclusion

Not all cats are exceptional jumpers, but making your cat a professional takes practice. Do not expect incredible results from an old, sick, or uninterested cat. Although cats are known for jumping high, do not worry if your pet does not do it.

Even if cats can leap repeatedly, do not let your cat get into risky situations. If you live on a high floor of an apartment building, you need to be cautious and take care of your cat. If you have a balcony or large windows, your cat may not jump, but they could fall, and high-risk falls can lead to terrible consequences.