Movement

Generally, the size and shape of the average domestic cat has remained relatively constant throughout its association with man. Whether sprinting after prey or stalking in slow motion, the cat is built for speed and coordination. A cat in good shape can run 30 mph (48 km/h). The cat is a sprinter, however not a long distance runner, like cheetah.

Cats are digitigrade: they walk directly on their toes, moving around like a ballet dancer. Cats are capable of walking precisely because they place each hind paw almost directly in the print of the corresponding fore paw, minimizing nose and visible tracks and providing sure footing. The cat, the giraffe, and the camel are the only mammals that walk by moving the front and hind legs first on side and the the other.

A cat is able to jump more than 5 times of its own height in a single leap. When preparing for a jump, the cat closely observes the place in intends to jump to, calculating the distance and exact angle before making the leap. Like Ninjinsky, the cat jump with style and elegance no matter the distance, the tail acting to balance the cat in the air. Rarely does a cat injure itself, even when the jumps are very large or a landing is miscalculated. 

Jumping down is a little more difficult. Most cats try to shorten the distance they have to jump by putting their front paws as close as possible to their targeted ground. They push off with their hind legs.