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Urag-gro_Shub t1_j1lz8d7 wrote

My cat does that all the time

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ScipioLongstocking t1_j1mfru2 wrote

Can your cat stop while doing it, or is it more of a controlled fall where the cat runs down the tree?

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Urag-gro_Shub t1_j1nxlvo wrote

Yeah, she goes down really slow until the last 4 feet or so when it turns into a kinda run-jump. She tends to go more diagnally headfirst rather than straight up and down though

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Orogogus t1_j1nqdof wrote

Supposedly the Norwegian Forest Cat is the only breed of small cat that climbs down trees headfirst, although it's usually said to be more the controlled fall thing the other poster says -- they just run down and manage not to crash at the bottom. But the first hit on YouTube for 'Norwegian Forest Cat climb down tree headfirst' shows one making its way down at a fairly leisurely pace:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Izq1hMUPvY

For other breeds they say the shape of the toes/claws forces the cat to go forwards, but somehow Norwegian Forest Cats just have exceptionally strong claws and forepaws that let them do the job. That always sounded weird to me, though; their claws and arms don't look that different from other cats. Surely it's just a quirk from the breeding program?

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