Why won't my kitten jump?

We saved his life when he was 1 week old. Now he is 4 months and will not jump at all. Never meows. The most loveable guy ever. He will climb atop a shoe box and that is it. Is this a sign of some kind of brain damage or is it normal?

Why won't my kitten jump?
My kitty hardly meowed either, for a few months. She's a bit more vocal nowadays at 7 months old. Some cats are just quiet I guess. About the jumping, I don't know what would cause that. Have you tried putting him on the couch and stuff, to see what he does? Maybe if you do that, and talk to him and be very supportive to show him it's okay, maybe he will jump down and realize that it's alright? Best of luck, I hope you and your kitty live long and happy lives together.
Reply:It's possible that your cat may be in pain. Jumping and landing takes work. One of our family cats would not climb and jump a while, turned out it was weight and arthritis. We built stairs and ramps and she did better.
Reply:Some cats are just like that. Give him some time and he'll jump when he feels confident. I rescued a stray kitten that was born in my carport, he wouldn't meow, or even jump for anything. By the time he was 7 months old, he became extremely talkative and jumps all over the place.
Reply:He's waiting for you to say "Simon Says." Sorry, couldn't resist. ;)





Some cats are more motivated than others in their level of activity. If it's worrying you, I'd take him to a vet. He should go to get his shots if you haven't taken him yet, anyway.
Reply:He may have brain damage, or he may just not feel the need to do any of those things, or he may have never learned them from his mom or another cat! I'm inclined to believe he does not know how because he did not have another cat to teach him how. As far as meowing...I had a cat that NEVER made a noise. We thought he might be deaf, but he could hear the can opener. Then we put him in the car to take to the vet and boy did we ever hear him then! Got him back home and never heard another sound from him until the next trip in the car. He just never had the need to complain!





Reminds me of a joke....man and woman had a child, he never cried or spoke. One day mom burned the toast but served it to him anyway. He looked her square in the eye and said "It's burned!" Mom was shocked! "Billy, your 4 years old and you've never said a thing, we were worried about you! How come all of a sudden you spoke to me?" Billy replied, "Well, up until now, everything was o.k.!" :-)





Encourage your little one to play more like a cat with a feather toy attached to a string. Get down on the floor and play with him. He may think everything is fine and does not know he is supposed to climb curtains!!!
Reply:I have a 4 year old adult cat, who doesn't jump very often. In fact, when she was a kitten, she rarely jumped. It might be that he's just not strong or coordinated enough to jump. My cat eventually started jumping, but she cannot jump very high. She jumps on low things like the couch, bed, and coffee table, but she's never gotten on the counters or kitchen table. If you're that concerned, take him to the vet to be sure.
Reply:my stray who I adopted many years ago didn't jump..figured out that she didn't know what "up" meant..had to teach her to look above her...she discovered a whole new world..up! took lots of patience and string! kitty may also prefer to keep closer to the ground..may feel more secure there...if he's lovable..who cares if he jumps..just be glad he's not an ankle biter!!!
Reply:Some cats are more adventurous than others. I had two kittens I raised from birth and one was into everything and climbed all over the place. The other one was very calm and didn't like to climb or jump. He loved being held and petted while the climber wanted to roam all over the place. Cats are like people, each are individuals.


You could try getting a feather toy to dangle for him to get him to jump some. It's a stick with a string and feathers attached. My cats love them and even my fat cat will leave the ground to jump after them.



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