Cats and trees go together like Fall and pumpkin spice lattes—you can hardly imagine one without the other. Whether it’s a tiny kitten clawing its way up a birch tree’s bark or a giant floof bounding from branch to branch atop an ancient oak tree, we can’t help but admire felines in trees.
In fact, some cats look so snug and at home perching in treetops that it made us wonder if they might have secretly been raised by birds. Scroll down for Bored Panda’s collection of birdlike cats in trees, upvote your favorite photos, and check out our previous post about cattos sleeping in trees right here.
Bored Panda wanted to learn more about why cats enjoy climbing trees so much and why they tend to get stuck in treetops, so we reached out to cat behaviorist Ingrid Johnson.#1
RealLizurd Report78pointsPOST
Raine Soo13 hours ago
My, these two are beautiful. Their contrast with the hot pink flowers makes for a gorgeous photograph.9ReplyView more comments#2
WillemPenn13 hours ago
While both are members of the genus phatcollaredgatos and share slothful arboreal behavior patterns, the Australian Koala, which eats shoots and leaves, should not be mistaken for the far more deadly Eurasian Koala (pictured), which eats, shoots, and leaves.22ReplyView More Replies…View more comments#3
Raine Soo13 hours ago
Just hanging out with my buddy.11ReplyView more comments
According to cat behaviorist Ingrid, cats seek height for a lot of different reasons. What’s more, for an outdoor cat or an indoor-outdoor cat, those reasons could even save their life. “Height provides comfort and security and the ability to survey a lot of territory from a single vantage point. Climbing a tree or a cat condo for our indoor only friends provides a sense of safety,” she explained.
“Height also creates more usable territory and allows cats to avoid conflict with other cats. So an outdoor cat may climb a tree to escape an attacker (a rival neighborhood cat or a dog!), the same reason an indoor cat might bolt up a cat tree or perch on top of the kitchen cabinets if appropriate climbing places are not provided.”#4
Raine Soo13 hours ago
How in the world is that comfortable? Cats are certainly odd.9ReplyView More Replies…View more comments#5
Guinny13 hours ago
thats a black owl not a cat16ReplyView More Replies…View more comments#6
Raine Soo13 hours ago
It’s a cat family tree.16ReplyView more comments
Cats can also chase their prey, like a squirrel, chipmunk, or a bird, up a tree. But cats also climb to hang out, to take a nap, and for fun! “They condition their claws and muscles by scratching and climbing. We call these ‘feel good’ behaviors. In fact, many indoor cats never get a chance to condition/hone their back claws because few cat condo companies provide a straight vertical pole to climb.”
She continued: “Which is exactly why my husband, Jake and I provide the market with a six foot, wall mounted scratch pole. There are virtually none on the market, we have multiples of these in our home and our cats climb them regularly. It is a great way to mimic a tree for an indoor cat. Just always be sure to provide a way for them to get down.”
Ingrid confirmed to Bored Panda that cats have a lot more trouble climbing out of trees than up them.#7
postboredom13 hours ago
Neighborhood watch. cat edition20ReplyView more comments#8
Raine Soo13 hours ago
I am guarding the fruit!9ReplyView more commentshttps://1e15f1cb5595b577f84541bd6f4800cd.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html#9
Bastianator Report37pointsPOST
Nadine Bamberger12 hours ago
Heeeeeeere is Johnny!8ReplyView more comments
“Cats are not squirrels,” she said. “If you take a look at a cat’s nail, it is hook shaped, made for climbing, but they cannot come straight back down the tree. They would have to come down backwards, jump down, or descend using a series of branches like stairs.”
When a cat pursues its prey or is being chased, it can climb up a very tall trees that don’t have any low-lying branches. And just like that, they’re stuck.
“This is precisely why, when creating vertical space for your cats in your own home, that we are sure to not create dead end spaces as they can be points of aggression in multi-cat homes and that we also create a way for them to descend, especially if we have provided them with a tall scratch pole.” #10
lilpeanutcat Report36pointsPOST
Raine Soo13 hours ago
A sweet kitty that matches the colour of the apples.6ReplyView more comments#11
cosmo_and_bowie Report35pointsPOST
Raine Soo13 hours ago
I like to relax like this.7ReplyView more comments#12
BillyGoat956961 Report34pointsPOST
Raine Soo13 hours ago
Wow! Bumper crop!6ReplyView more comments
Cats are built for climbing. Lots of climbing. They have powerful hind legs and strong backs, so it’s no surprise that when they see a tree, they’ll instinctively want to go as high up as they can.
What’s more, there are certain advantages to perching in a tree. When you’re higher up, you can spot your dinner from much further away while they remain unaware. (Let’s keep that in mind the next time we want to ambush an ice cream truck.)
However, climbing up trees isn’t just an offensive move; it can be a defensive tactic, too! Cats aren’t at the top of the food chain, so they can fall victim to other wild animals or the neighborhood doggos. Being up high means cats feel safer, more relaxed, and can taunt their would-be predators as much as they like. Unless their pursuers can climb trees, too!#13
Raine Soo13 hours ago
The yield was good this year.10ReplyView more comments#14
TheBreadSkeleton Report30pointsPOST
Raine Soo13 hours ago
This is a majestic floof.15Reply#15
Eva the Egg8 hours ago
Thats so adorable!!!5ReplyView more comments
Unfortunately, what makes cats great at climbing up trees makes them terrible at coming back down to the solid ground.
“A cat in a tree may have trouble coordinating their hind and front feet when they try to back down. It’s just not a movement cats normally do,” feline ethologist from Maryland, Susan Bulanda, told Pet MD. That’s why cats most often jump from high places instead of climbing down.
Despite how much cats seem to enjoy trees, some of them really are notoriously bad at climbing down. Some might get scared. Others might get confused.
I’ve never had to rescue a cat from a tree before, but I’m pretty sure some of you Pandas have been everyday superheroes before—let us know if you’ve ever rescued a trembling catto before and how it went.#16
Raine Soo13 hours ago
Watch it! These crabapples are mine!4Reply#17
treyeverettcreates Report24pointsPOST
troufaki1312 hours ago
Chirp, chirp! I mean… meow meow!6Reply#18
ramon_vogel_fotografie Report24pointsPOST
Raine Soo13 hours ago
I wonder if this is a Scottish wildcat. They tend to look similar to their domesticated tabby cousins.4ReplyView More Replies…View more comments#19
rosetacuca Report23pointsPOST
Cathy Price5 hours ago
The color contrast makes this a beautiful picture.0Reply#20
Raine Soo13 hours ago
Cat committee meeting.4ReplyView More Replies…View more comments#21
Raine Soo13 hours ago(edited)
Eight kitties in a pea pod, er, on a tree branch.4ReplyView more comments#22
Watch_The_Karma_Burn Report22pointsPOST
Raine Soo13 hours ago
Heh!5ReplyView more comments#23
JustTheBigBaby Report22pointsPOST
Raine Soo13 hours ago
That actually looks like a cosy little nook.6ReplyView more comments#24
postboredom13 hours ago
how is he still on that stick without breaking it?10ReplyView More Replies…View more comments#25
Chippersaurus99 Report21pointsPOST
Raine Soo13 hours ago
Surveying all that is mine.2ReplyView more comments#26
troufaki1312 hours ago
Rawwwwrrr!!!1ReplyView more comments#27
birman_bros_nz Report20pointsPOST
Rissie13 hours ago
Pretty kitty 🙂2ReplyView more comments#28
simona__mai Report20pointsPOST
postboredom12 hours ago
he knows he is worshipped by egyptians3ReplyView more comments#29
Nadine Bamberger12 hours ago
Honey, those stalker cat are watching me get undressed again! I knew I shouldn’t have gotten that tuna tattoo.2ReplyView more comments#30
Raine Soo13 hours ago
Nothing like a relaxing summer day…2Reply
Note: this post originally had 73 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
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FollowJonas GrinevičiusWriter, BoredPanda staff
Jonas is a Bored Panda writer who previously worked as a world news journalist elsewhere. After getting his bachelor’s degree in Politics and International Relations at the University of Manchester, he returned home and graduated from Vilnius University with a master’s degree in Comparative Politics. Jonas enjoys writing articles ranging from serious topics like politics and social issues to more lighthearted things like art, pop culture, and nature. In his spare time, Jonas writes books and short stories and likes to draw lighthearted illustrations. A huge fan of literature, films, philosophy, and tabletop games, he also has a special place in his heart for anything related to fantasy or science fiction. Read more »
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