Luxating patellas on kitten. What does this mean?

When we first got our new kitten at 5 months old the vet told us he has luxating patellas but didn't seem too worried about it. I've done some Google searches and nothing I've skimmed over looks benign with it. A few articles even talk about surgery though that's on older cats that have dislocated their patellas. What does this mean? Will he always have luxating patellas? Will that cause him to lead a different life than other cats? Sometimes it seems like he has trouble jumping down from high up and he's a bit clumsy but I'm not sure if that's the patellas or his kittenhood. He's 6 months old now.

Kittens with luxating patella can outgrow it, which might be why your vet doesn't seem very worried about it at the moment.  If he doesn't outgrow it and it starts to cause him pain, surgery can often fix the problem, depending on the severity.  The Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine has put out an excellent article on this that condition. http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/Health_Information/LuxatingPatella.cfm

You might also check out the following thread in which different members describe their cats' experiences with it.  The thread is old but still topical.

 http://www.thecatsite.com/t/218910/the-infamous-rare-luxating-patella

Hi. Any updates on Sammy, the kitty you found on the side of the interstate? I enjoyed his story...