Answer: The cat has very well developed sense of balance. He can move sure footedly and with out any gualms along narrow shelves and ledges, and even on the top of walls several feet above the ground. Cats will also climb trees rapidly and with out difficulty; although a kitten’s never fail at the prospects of the decent, necessitating a ‘rescue’ by the owner or firemen.
Following the amputation of a limb, fore or hind. A cat experience little difficulty in balancing or moving and it able to compensate almost completely.
As mentioned previously, it is the moment of fluid in the semi-circular canals of the inner ear which produces information about the position of the head relative to the ground. This information is conveyed in the form of electrical impulses along the eighth cranial never to the brain. The part of the brain known as the cerebellum interprets these singles, together with sensation of touch and pressure from the paw pads and other parts of the body, and then ends never impulses to move the appropriate body muscles that will enable the animal to maintain its equilibrium.
The tail acts as a useful counterweight when the cat is moving along very narrow edges, rather like the balancing pole of a tightrope walker. It swings from side to side compensate for change in the distribution of body weight as each step is taken. It is also held straight out behind at the end of jump to help arrest the car’s forward movement.
It is interesting to note that the well known tail less Manx cat has hind legs longer then its forelegs and that these hind legs have well developed heavy muscles, which must inevitably shift some weight to the animal’s rear end and probably help compensate for the lack of a tail.
