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Asked by huntsop to Mel, Jill, Jen on 6 Mar 2013.
Question: Why do cats always land on their feet .
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Jill Magee answered on 6 Mar 2013:
Thats an interesting question. The answer lies in the ability of the cat to change its position while falling. It has a very light body and can move gracefully which helps. Unlike humans!
When a cat falls, on its way down it extends all four legs sideways as if it is gliding. This gives them a greater surface area to air below. Think of it as a parachute.
As cats are so light, the speed with which they fall is almost equal to the upward thrust of air which means the two are balanced. This means that cat will continue to fall, but at a constant speed.
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Melissa Brereton answered on 7 Mar 2013:
I remember asking my mum this question when I was younger and saw my cat fall out of a tree in our garden and land on his feet! I don’t think she could answer it so lets hope I make a better job of it now…
It is basically because they have a really flexible back bone. They have 30 vertebrae whereas humans have 24 so they can twist and turn a lot more than us. They also have something called a “righting reflex”. A reflex is something that happens in our body without us being aware of it! A reflex we are all familiar with is when you touch something really hot with your hand and you automatically move it away without thinking about it. This happens really fast because the heat signal doesn’t have to take the time travel to your brain. So the righting reflex in cats happens without them even knowing. But be warned…. it takes time for them to turn from their back to their feet and this is only possible if they have at least 30cm from where they fall! So please don’t try dropping your cat from a low height to see if they land on their feet!!!
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Jennifer Paxton answered on 9 Mar 2013:
I have absolutely no idea! But I love Jill and Melissa’s answers 🙂
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