If you think about the fact that cats tend to jump down from high places rather than climb down, it becomes easier to understand why a cat who has climbed high up a tree may have difficulty descending. They climb in the first place either to chase an animal, escape from one, or simply because they like to climb and be high up. But once they get high enough, they know that jumping carries risk. Cats do survive jumps from extremely high perches but, contrary to popular opinion, not always—and not always without injury.
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