They walk on the tips of their toes, not on the soles of their feet as do humans and many other kinds of animals. At a medium speed they trot, much as a horse does. But when they are trying to hunt down prey or escape a human hunter, they really want speed, and so they move in great, bounding leaps that cover ground rapidly. The cheetah is the fastest of all land mammals and has been clocked at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour. But all cats, even the domestic cat, are capable of very rapid acceleration from a standing start.
All cats can swim, and many are excellent fishermen.
The ancient Egyptians used cats not only as hunters of mice but as catchers of fish as well. Many cats, however, avoid water and will take to it only as a last resort when there is no other means of escape from a threatening enemy. All cats except the tiger and cheetah can climb. Lions climb poorly, but they often like to climb out on the low limbs of trees to stretch out with feet dangling. On this perch they can sun themselves, catnap, and survey a small part of their territory.