If you have a trampoline, you have probably wondered how much your cat would like to go on it. Would it be freaked out by the trampoline mat? Would it start to play like a kitten?
In general, cats like trampolines, although they are too light to bounce on them as dogs can. Cats enjoy walking on the surface and playing with anything under the mat. However, cats will get distressed if they are trapped in the trampoline and can’t figure out how to find the safety net door.
Let’s dive in, and I’ve got some cool videos to share. Hold your judgement as some of these videos are a bit cringeworthy. Others are super cute – did I mention the Norwegian Forest kittens playing on a trampoline?
Cat Safety on Trampolines
No article on cats would be complete without a short safety statement.
If you have a trampoline, and you want to experiment with putting your cat on it, introduce the cat to the trampoline carefully. Give plenty of space for the cat to jump off if it wants.
Never trap the cat in the trampoline using the net. If you do, you will immediately have seven years bad luck.
Below is a collection of fun videos. Click here if you are looking for how to puppy proof your trampoline so that both your trampoline and your dog are safe.
Cats Like Walking on Trampoline Mats
Whilst all animals like walking on solid ground, some also seem to like walking on the bouncy resistance of a trampoline mat.
I suspect that it has the same feel as walking along a branch. You start to get a bit of flex and bounce as you go further along a branch. Cats are much lighter than us, and much more agile, so a trampoline mat might feel like a very wide branch.
Here is a very cute video of some Norwegian Forest kittens moving around on a trampoline. It looks like a litter of siblings. A couple seem think that there is something under the trampoline pads, and try to pounce. Another one has had enough and jumps off. But one or two have decided to have a bit of a play with their siblings.
Very nice. 10 out of 10.
Cats Like Playing with Humans on Trampolines
Anything that approximates hunting practice is good play for cats. They love stalking and pouncing at anything that moves. Have you tried moving your fingers under a bedsheet for a cat, and watching it attack?
Well, here is an example of a cat on a trampoline playing with its human. The person is moving around under the trampoline mat, and makes a bump under the mat.
The cat loves it! And, pounces! And, again and again!
There Is At Least One Cat That Likes Being Bounced
I’m sure this cat is an outlier. There’s no way that most cats would enjoy this, so don’t try this at home.
The young child is bouncing on the trampoline with a cat lying on its side. The cat isn’t trying to escape, and from time to time, even looks like it is trying to roll on its back to invite more.
It does seem to try to put one paw on the mat to keep its balance, but the cat even goes air at one stage, as Katie the Kid is encouraged to jump higher.
Cats Can Use Trampolines as a Landing Pad from a Distance
I’m not going to lie, this one freaked me out a little. The cat seems on the young side, and has gone out on a first floor window ledge. The owner, whilst not pushing it, is very much encouraging the cat to jump from the window ledge to the trampoline.
It is a long distance jump, where the cat has to move somehow diagonally backwards to make the leap. The owner clearly thinks it’s hysterical, although not many in the comments agree. Not quite my cup of tea, it’s a little precarious and risky. It could even be that the cat is limping after the jump.
Cats Don’t Like Being Trapped By Trampoline Safety Netting
Nobody likes the feeling of being trapped, and stray cats like it less than most.
There’s something panic-inducing about wanting to get away, and knowing that you can’t. The adrenalin rises, and the flight-fight-freeze sets in. It’s hard to think rationally at this point. Your entire physiology is geared towards getting you out of the situation.
This stray cat tends more towards the flight rather than the freeze. It has climbed into the trampoline through the slightly open door in the netting. There are brick stairs to get in, rather than a ladder, in case you were wondering.
But when it can’t find the door again, it freaks out. The video shows the cat running wildly into the safety netting, hitting against it, before ricocheting back to the other side. Then repeat.
It was a relief to finally see the cat climb up over the netting and escape.
Cute Cat Spinning on a Trampoline
After the above examples, I thought I should finish with this gorgeous cat spinning around on a trampoline.
If you listen carefully, you can hear that someone is underneath the trampoline. They seem to be running something against the trampoline mat, and the cat is chasing after it. Super gorgeous and good clean fun.
This is one example of a cat on a trampoline where the cat clearly loves it!
In Summary
There are some cats who seem to really love being on a trampoline, whilst others are more ambivalent. But these are cats who know how to get off and are able to come and go as they please. When cats get trapped by the netting, and can’t find the exit, it truly freaks them out.
