Should my kitten be able to jump up on things by now?

Hi everyone! I have a 5 1/2 month old kitten who is pretty big already. He's 7lb. 13 oz. right now and has a slender long/tall body type and huge rabbit feet. But he still can't jump up on tables and counters. If I dangle a toy up high he can't jump up at it. He can do flying leaps and stuff but a straight vertical jump he can maybe get a foot off the ground and he's not graceful landing either. Is this normal or could there be something up with his legs? When do kittens get the jumping skills, cause I thought he'd be hopping up on the counter by now.

And its not that he has no interest in jumping up there. If I am standing next to the only counter he can't get on by climbing up other things, he will get really mad and cry like crazy to be lifted up there.

Here's a pic of him wanting to get on the fridge. He can't make this jump when it is clear. I cleared everything out of his way and he didn't do it.

Be thankful!!  Once they learn to jump, there is no stopping them!  He's still a little tyke so I wouldn't worry too much about that.  It'll come in time, but one thing that would help is a cat tree if you don't have one.  He can climb the legs and that will help strengthen his leg muscles.

A certain amount of fear may be involved, i.e., he might be hesitant to really try to jump up on counters and other high places because it hasn't registered that he's bigger now and can do it. Once he "makes that leap" there will be no stopping him. :lol3:

awe , I had A Cat same Coat And everything , Named Him Goldy [emoji]128522[/emoji]. I had that problem , Its Most Likely fear , being cats Or born with the flexibility too jump , Change there landing He's just more Scared thing anything probably [emoji]128533[/emoji] what you can do too help him is feed Him On the counter , Table high places soon enough he's going too be comfortable enough too jump right up there , but be patient .

Aww, he's sweet, and obviously nosy!  He's at much less risk than my boy was at that age as he threw himself about fearlessly and was always getting in to scrapes / ending up at the vet.  As the others say, think yourself lucky while it lasts.  I'd go with stephanietx and keep him active doing things to keep him fit and strengthen his leg muscles.  Encourage him to start making smaller jumps too and hopefully that will build both muscle and confidence.  It will be easier if he starts with surfaces that he can grip his paws and claws into as he will be better able to pull his body up.  

As he is quite a big boy it will be harder for him than a slight / small young cat to start his jumping. It is perhaps a natural protection for his bones, ligaments and tendons so that they gradually catch up in strength with his rapid body growth.  If he suddenly started throwing himself about he might be more at risk of damaging himself (along with everything around him).

Going by his picture he is able to stretch out his lower limbs and is standing up on his hind paw pads so there is no obvious lack of use of a particular muscle group but if you are really worried have your vet take a look at him.  I think his strength and confidence probably just need to catch up with his size.   

Also, at his age, kitties are still not quite all coordinated.  He might've had a previous spill or attempt with less than stellar results and that's made him a bit shy to try again.  Provide smaller steps for him to get up high if you'd like for him to be up higher or if he's showing an interest.  Sometimes, they just need some encouragement and positive reinforcement.

Thanks for all the advice guys! I think you are all right that he just needs more coordination and courage! I'm pretty sure his muscles are okay cause he literally shakes the walls and floors in my apartment when he's tearing around in his crazed kitten mode. Maybe that's his problem! He's more of a barreling line backer than a graceful, nimble kitty!

 Yes, I wonder if he might have attempted a jump when he was a bit younger and didn't make it and had a scary experience,  and that has made him hesitant to try again.   If you really want him jumping,  try working up to it ,  first getting him to just stand on his back legs to play with a toy,  then try getting him to jump to some low piece of furniture for a toy or treat or attention.    make sure it is easy jumps at first so he will succeed and gain confidence. 

Or just let him be satisfied with tearing around like a linebacker.  

  You could ask the vet at his next appointment if he is still not jumping much by then,  but I suspect if he really had a physical problem you would probably see it in some other way too as an awkward gait due to crooked legs or weakness in the legs and it doesn't sound like that is the case .  

maewkaew said:

 
 Yes, I wonder if he might have attempted a jump when he was a bit younger and didn't make it and had a scary experience,  and that has made him hesitant to try again.   If you really want him jumping,  try working up to it ,  first getting him to just stand on his back legs to play with a toy,  then try getting him to jump to some low piece of furniture for a toy or treat or attention.    make sure it is easy jumps at first so he will succeed and gain confidence. 

Or just let him be satisfied with tearing around like a linebacker.  

  You could ask the vet at his next appointment if he is still not jumping much by then,  but I suspect if he really had a physical problem you would probably see it in some other way too as an awkward gait due to crooked legs or weakness in the legs and it doesn't sound like that is the case .  

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I reckon maewkaew is right here. I reckon a bit of kitty jumping school could work wonders. Go for it! I'm sure he'll get the hang of at least little jumps and enjoy them if you build them up gradually and he finds he can do them safely. You may well regret it as it will make his mad dashes even more crazy!   If he can do the single crazed kitten / cat sounds like a herd of elephants routine I'd be fairly confident he's fine.  It would be pretty impressive doing that with any muscle or joint problems or balance issues.  Some cats are definitely more in to the jumping thing than others too, and he may well be more of a stalk and sprint  than a springer.        ​ 

I don't think it is related to a coordination problem (unless he has a neurological disorder.) But fear, I could see where that would cause him to be hesitant. Have you had him checked for hip dysplasia or luxating patellas? At 5 1/2 months old, he should be physically able to jump up on things.

My Max has hip dysplasia and had difficulty/wouldn't jump as a kitten (his hip sockets were not deep enough to hold the hip bone in place.) He also had a very noticable "waddle" as a young kitten...he walked very differently that his brothers...this is what allowed me to get an early disgnosis on him..he was 7 wks old. Max's hip sockets did finally grow large enough to accommodate most of his hip bone, though he does still have slippage.
I use a few different therapies and pain management with him...on his "good" days, he runs and jumps just like his brothers. On his "bad" days, jumping of any kind is limited. Also, Max is unable to climb up things...he cannot climb up the sisal posts on his cat tree.

fluffybeard said:

Thanks for all the advice guys! I think you are all right that he just needs more coordination and courage! I'm pretty sure his muscles are okay cause he literally shakes the walls and floors in my apartment when he's tearing around in his crazed kitten mode. Maybe that's his problem! He's more of a barreling line backer than a graceful, nimble kitty!

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 This is exactly how Maia is! She lacks the graceful, nimble ability of most cats! She is an expert at the full out run, but when it comes to jumping, she always takes her time

You might try playing with him using a feather on a stick type toy like DaBird.  I also think some kitties just aren't big jumpers.  Some are more land lovers.

fluffybeard, does he climb? If he climbs instead of jumps, I wonder if he doesn't actually have very mild cerebellar hypoplasia. Does his head wobble - even slightly - when he's excited?

When kitties are shaky, or walk stiffly, CH is very apparent and an easy diagnosis. But when it's very mild, it can leave people just thinking they have a clumsy kitty. :lol3:

There's a TCS member that was wondering about her clumsy cat. You might want to take a look at the thread: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/265246/ive-heard-of-clumsy-cats-but-this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebellar_hypoplasia_(non-human)

LDG, yes he climbs. He's always been a champion climber. It's interesting that you mention CH, because when he was younger I really thought he could have that. His head did wobble and he walked funny and would trip over his feet and would get shaky when he was excited and would prefer to lay on his back and play rather than run and pounce. But it was always pretty mild, nothing super obvious. But he was always healthy and checked out good at the vet and as he grew up, his clumsy gate and wobbly head kind of went away. Can cats with mild CH learn to move better as they get older? I'll mention it on his next vet visit for sure! I'll watch him close to see if his head still wobbles but I haven't noticed it since he was much younger.

Yes, in my experience, they gain more control over their muscles as they grow. Ming Loy couldn't use the litter box without help when she was a baby, and we had to pad the corners of everything in the house, because she could get her speed up, but not control where she was going.

As an adult, she can walk quite a ways now without falling over. It's quite clear she has CH, but it's not nearly as obvious or ... can't find the word, because "debilitating" isn't the right word - but she can control where she's going, her "brakes work," etc etc etc.

CH kitties are "healthy." And if it's mild, a vet may not be able to see it (as with the kitty in the other thread). If you don't see the head wobble... I don't know. :lol3:

I guess you'll find out over time, if he's ever able to really jump or not.

Did he jump up onto the counter top next to the fridge?

No, he can't jump on the counter from the floor. I have to kneel down and he'll jump on my knee and then the counter. I've been watching him for signs of CH and general clumsiness and I just don't see it. He dashes around and does running leaps onto chairs and shorter things.

He doesn't have a cat tree but he has catty stacks which is smooth cardboard and he jumps on them from the couch but today I watched him jump to the top and then fall off and hit the floor. That's when I realized that all his high jumping surfaces are slick: table, bookshelves, counters, catty stacks. I think if I get him a cat tree he can practice jumping onto high places he can get a grip on and pull himself up! And then he'll get the skills to jump on the smooth surfaces. Poor thing, lol!!!

Everyone reading this that wishes their cats would stay off the counters fridge and tables probably think I'm nuts, lol. But I live in a small studio apartment so I want him to have all the space he can.

Don't think you're nuts at all!!!!  We're all saying what a pain it is with kitties that leap about but we would all be just as worried as you if they weren't!   

It's the natural thing for a loving parent to do when a furbaby doesn't do what has been expected.  It is good to check things out and then if it's all healthy and just something a kitty can't or doesn't want to do it is a great relief.  If it is something we can help kitty to learn to do we help, and if it is a health issue we get assistance and help from vets and other specialists.  

One of the things I love about Mouse is that he's an idiot that leaps about and constantly gets himself in to bother.....  falls off things, lands on top of things, fails to stop, does head rolls, skids in to walls, and gets stuck in spaces that are far too small for his not so small butt!  I am less sure that I love the resulting vet bills or the way he jumps up on to my back or head but he comes as a complete furpackage. I spent plenty time worrying about how often he fell off things and misjudged his leaps when he was younger, but it just seems to be him and the vets have never found anything wrong - he just doesn't use his claws to hold on.   From what you say, you get all the silly stuff other than the jumping so fingers crossed all is healthy.

The climbing frame and stuff he can get a safe grip on to pull himself up sounds good.

When my kitty was younger she did the same thing. She wouldn't just jump onto things, but would claw and pull her way up. After I trimmed her nails for the first time she had to get used to not having her claws to pull herself up onto things, and she gradually got used to jumping up onto furniture instead of climbing.

Instead of a cat tree could also buy some cheap shelving at Ikea and put some carpet on them yourself, if you can get away with installing shelves in your apartment. That way he can get up high and be able to pull himself up with the carpeting, and also because cat trees can be surprisingly expensive!

I wouldn't overly stress about it.  Just enjoy him and love him whether he jumps or not.  It's obvious he's healthy and loved.