How Do Cats Pounce?

Pouncing is in a cat's instincts̵2;it's as big a part of his acrobatic repertoire as scaling a Christmas tree or balancing on the edge of the bathtub. He does it using his uniquely feline sense of balance and physical attributes, along with his natural knack for stalking his prey and launching sneak attacks.

  1. Judging the Jump

    • A cat's pounce starts with quick, careful planning. He has excellent vision when it comes to judging distance, so he is able to quietly stalk his prey and gauge its precise location before jumping. He hunches down low to the ground, preparing to launch himself forward like a runner on the starting block. His eyes help him determine the exact distance of his prey, but they aren't the only things on his face that help him prepare to jump̵2;his whiskers give him an extraordinary sense of balance, as well as the ability to accurately judge distance and other spatial relations.

    Leaping and Landing

    • Because he's hunched so low to the ground, his strong back legs are ready to push off. A cat's back legs move only forward and backward, so he can use them to powerfully catapult himself straight ahead. He pushes off with his back legs, and with his outstretched front legs he lands on his prey̵2;depending on the situation, he may dig in with his claws, bite down or both.

    Domestic Cat Pouncing

    • While many domestic cats never have to spend a single day actually hunting for food, they still know how to pounce. This is because of their instincts, which are deeply ingrained in them even after centuries of living with humans. To a cat, pouncing comes as naturally as walking down the street comes to a human̵2;it's simply something he knows how to do. This is evidenced even in young kittens, who demonstrate the ability to pounce long before reaching physical maturity.

    Play Aggression

    • Domestic cats often pounce as part of play aggression, which may come off as too rough to humans unaccustomed to the behavior. Cats often like to play rough with each other, using their tiny teeth and sharp claws as part of the game. You may even find that after a cat pounces on you, he curls up and uses his back legs to kick at you with his claws. Uncomfortable as this is, your cat won't necessarily know better until you stop the behavior̵2;to him, it's just a good bit of fun.

    Encouraging Healthy Pouncing

    • If your cat won't stop pouncing inappropriately̵2;on your feet, for example̵2;help him channel his instincts in a more constructive way. For example, tease him by shooting a laser pointer at the floor for him to pounce on. Alternatively, engage him with a dangling cat toy that you can drag along the ground. He can get his kicks stalking and pouncing on "prey" like this, rather than targeting you or your other pets.