Height is might

Have you ever wandered into a room and felt like you were being watched? What about making your way down the stairs only to look back from where you had come to find a pair of eyes watching all your movements from a superior elevated position? Why is it when you are really pushed for time and you need to get your friend into the carrier they have retreated into the highest most inaccessible place possible, in record time and with stealth that would make a ninja weep?

It comes down to basic biology and instinct. In the wild, cats are solitary hunters that move from small prey meal to small prey meal only relying on themselves without the protection of a pack or social unit.  If they let down their guard and are injured this makes them less able to protect themselves and hunt which equals vulnerability.  Vulnerability makes you an easy meal for a predator or a weaker opponent for an adversary.

An elevated position is perfect for:

Surveillance

Maintaining an elevated position enables your cat to continuously monitor their environment and assess potential threats from a position of relative safety. This vigilance provides an early-warning system that buys precious time to decide how to react to a possible threat or invader – escape, hide or prepare to attack. If there is something going on in your house and you think your cat is ‘sound asleep’ in their perch – think again, they are definitely keeping one eye on proceedings.

Security – Often, when you can’t find where your cat is perched, they have delicately arranged themselves up on the bookshelf, cupboard or in their cat bed with their back firmly against a solid surface facing the front. This has the advantage that not only can they continue surveillance but there is no chance of a sneak attack from behind.

Status - We all know that cats are superior to their fellow beings and this love of height is a great way to show that off, particularly in a multi-cat household. In terms of commanding attention, it’s a bit like Mufasa on Pride Rock…

Sustenance - What better place to watch the comings and goings of an unsuspecting meal?

So, that’s why, in a nut-shell, cats like to be up high, out of the melee and away from the hoi polloi. Have you ever thought what it would mean if your cat stopped perching and started settling for a low level boudoir or in some cases the floor? Has your cat starting missing jumps and face planting Garfield-style into the mat? Would you even notice?

Cats are masters of disguise when it comes to camouflaging disease and injury they are hardwired not to show pain because there is no survival benefit in doing so. This change in behaviour you might put down to a change in preference but is it? Why would a cat move from a position of strength to a position of relative vulnerability? Does it accompany any other changes in your cat’s habits like decreased grooming or more matting around the tail base and bottom?

A change in perching behaviour may reflect development of degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis, and the increased joint pain that is associated with jumping to the higher perches is a deterrent and keeps your cat ‘grounded’.

Degenerative joint disease occurs when the smooth cartilage that covers the surfaces of bones in joints and acts as a ‘shock absorber’ becomes worn away (degenerates). Over time the bone underneath the cartilage is exposed which results in a significant inflammatory response and pain when these bony surfaces rub against each other. 

Arthritis is vastly underdiagnosed in our feline patients and has been shown in various studies to effect between 60 and 90% of cats, particularly older cats. Commonly effected areas are the spine, shoulders, hips, elbows, knees (stifles) and ankles (tarsi). Certain breeds including Maine Coons, Persian, Siamese, Burmese and Scottish Folds have a higher incidence of developing the disease.

Has your cat has developed a middle-age spread or worse? this extra weight will worsen arthritic pain and speed progression of the disease and becomes a vicious cycle of increased weight = increased pain = decreased activity = increased weight and so on.

Evidence of arthritis may be found by your veterinarian at your cat’s yearly check-ups, in some cases there is obviously reduced joint mobility combined with pain. In other cases, the signs may be subtler and require x-rays (radiographs) to diagnose.

Arthritis itself can’t be stopped but there is a number of different types of medications available to address the inflammation present and to try and slow degeneration and the associated pain. Acupuncture has also been used successfully to manage these cases, particularly if there is concurrent disease that may limit the use of other more conventional medications.

There is an awful lot we can do around the house to improve our friend’s quality of life if they are suffering with arthritis, put yourself in their shoes, they haven’t lost the desire to be Mufasa but they have a reduced capacity to do this.

Think access – how can I make my cat’s access to their food, water, litter trays and favourite spots easier?

  • Ramps or steps to get to those favourite spots and make litter tray access easier, putting plastic matting on the steps will increase grip and prevent slipping particularly if these are used outside in the wet.
  • Make sure the cat flap is very easy to open, tie it up if necessary (watch interlopers from next door!)
  • Put food and water in their separated positions at floor level but keep this all on the ground floor so climbing the stairs isn’t a requirement for adequate nutrition
  • Always have a litter tray inside that is easy to get into, have one side that has been cut down as a sort of ‘walk-in’ toilet for ease-of-access, think about using a softer type of litter if your cat looks like he or she is treading on egg shells each time they use it!

Think comfort – how can I make my cat more comfortable?

  • Use of soft, comfortable beds placed in easily accessible, quiet, draft-free locations
  • 'Igloo beds' can make an older cat feel warm and secure
  • Spend time grooming and cleaning an arthritic cat as this may be difficult for them and they absolutely love this
  • Sometimes it is necessary to have the cat’s knots removed and coat shaved/trimmed under sedation or anaesthetic, don’t be put-off to not do this because of your cat’s age, I have seen cats given a new lease of life once the ‘knots of their oppressors’ has been removed (my own included) make sure you use a vet that has experience with older cats and their special needs.
  • Overgrown claws need regular cutting, arthritic cats will not use their scratch posts as much and a claw growing into the pad is really painful.

If you think your cat is showing any of these signs and/or their weight might be an issue get them in for a check-over and a chat with your vet.

 There is no need for our friends to suffer in silence if we are just that bit more aware of what they are doing in the background and remembering that height is might and lack of height can mean something is afoot.