Rite of Passage

[ShereKhanDickon]

It has happened four times with my litter of four. They are seven months old and mostly outside cats now.

Each one, in turn, has climbed a tall tree, but without any apparent skill for climbing back down. After this experience, each one seems to have developed downward capability.

Yesterday, the most active kitten went AWOL mid-afternoon. Although he is neutered, the little guy is bound to hunt. I figured he would show up at evening feeding time. When I called for everyone to come inside the garage for the night, I could hear him yelling. He was way up a tree and seemed frightened. (I suppose I was the frightened one.)

It's the fourth time this has happened -- each kitten in turn. I sat beneath the tree for about an hour, urging him to come down. He never stopped yelling. Each kitten has had this same experience: I go inside for a moment and when I return, the cat is down. I wonder if he fell most of the way. I wonder if he has learned from the rite.

 

[vince]

Seems to happen to every kitten at least once. We once had a cat that never learned to come down and we had to pick her out of trees repeatedly (fortunately they were little ornamental trees my mom had in the back yard). She finally quit trying to climb.

 

[tabbytom]

Each one, in turn, has climbed a tall tree, but without any apparent skill for climbing back down. After this experience, each one seems to have developed downward capability.

I sat beneath the tree for about an hour, urging him to come down. He never stopped yelling. Each kitten has had this same experience: I go inside for a moment and when I return, the cat is down. I wonder if he fell most of the way. I wonder if he has learned from the rite.

Cats claws are meant for climbing up and not down, for example up a cat tree or a tree. Their claws are made in such a way it only can cling on to things that are upright or flat or hanging. There's no traction for the claws to hook on when coming down a tree or cat tree. Only way is to jump if the height is jumpable or it depends on whether the cat has the courage to make the jump with accuracy.

Many cats can climb high but don't know how to get down even though if they seems to be able to get up on something else and is able to get down on their own but not on certain other things maybe just like you mention, the cat tree and that's why he yells at you so that you can bring him down.

What you can do is place another level close to where he is so that he has an extra step that is nearer to him for him too get down. Or, you can go near him, bend forward and encourage him to jump on your back and ten jump off.

Isuslly for such case, there is a gap in between and that's why your cat is hesitant to come down as he is unsure how to and he's smart by yelling or calling for help and that's why when they do this, we must go and help them come down. And sometimes you mentioned out of nowhere, he's down, he could have possibly just took the plunge and came down ungracefully.

Bottomline is not all cats are the same. Some are more adventurous and some are not.

 

[ShereKhanDickon]

Each one of my litter has now had the climbing experience. Some have been as high as thirty-forty feet in a black walnut tree that has large gaps between limbs. Last night, my guy was in a cedar tree. Such a tree is think with small branches and he should not have had such a terrible time.

My own observations suggest that the experience has taught each of my cats to refrain from going so high. Also, they seem to know that backing down the tree works better than a head-down approach like a squirrel.