Did you ever see your furry little friend zooming around the house and wonder - how fast can a cat run? Well, today we'll look into that very question. So read on to learn more about how fast house cats can run!
How fast can cats run?
According to catster.com, the short answer is that housecat top speed is around 30 miles an hour. Cats.com says that is faster than the fastest human top speed acheived by Usain Bolt at 27.3 miles per hour! It's faster than most dogs too, who run somewhere between 15 and 25 miles per hour, although there are dogs that can run faster, like greyhounds, who have a top speed of 40 miles an hour! Cats.com says dogs like Border Collies, Doberman Pinschers and German Shepherds run at 30 miles an hour, so roughly the same as cats. If you think about a cat and a German Shepherd side by side though, you'll soon realize that a cat's legs are much shorter! So, how can cats still run so fast?
How do cats run so fast?
One thing that helps with cats speed is their powerful hind legs. Catster.com says when a cat moves to top speed, they use their back legs to propel their body forward.The two front legs will touch down and then the back legs will land near to the front legs, so that they can spring forward. Along with their muscular back legs, they also have flexible spines with elastic discs between the bones that can compress and help with that spring like action! Also, cats are digitigrade,which means they walk on their toes, not on their full foot like we do. This helps them not only be fast, but also agile and stealthy!
Catster.com says that most house cats will usually run for 50 - 100 meters before (around the same in yards) before slowing down. So, while your cat can outrun you and many dogs over a short distance, they are sprinters, not marathoners!
There are many factors that go into house cat running speed, so your sweet little couch potato may or may not actually be able to get to that 30 mile an hour range. Cats.com says cats between 2 and 4 years old are at their physical peak, so kittens and older cats may be slower than those in their prime years. Another contributing factor to speed of a domestic cat is their weight and health. If a cat is overweight, they will have more stress on their joints which could cause them to run slower. The breed of your cat will also contribute to it's speed. Catster.com lists some faster cats, like Abyssinian, Savannah or Siamese... and some slower cats like Ragdolls, Persian, and Scottish Folds. American shorthairs are also on the list of slower cats. Cats.com also mentions that motivation plays a big role in how fast a house cat will run. Even a fun game of chasing after a toy might not get them running as fast as they would if they were chasing after prey or trying to escape a predator.
The Animal Humane society says that exercise like running is good for your cat, so even if your cat isn't quite the olympic athlete, encouraging it to move with some playtime can help it maintain a healthy weight, be less anxious and enhances their quality of life!
Cover photo by Matthias Speicher on Unsplash
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