"Cats always land on their feet"

Cats are amazing! They're so graceful and seem to leap and pounce with incredible skill. As a cat lover, I am sure that you are fully aware of the remarkable acrobatics that your feline friends are capable of. 

I know you have heard the saying "cats always land on their feet" but have you ever wondered why that is?

Contrary to popular belief, falling cats do not always land on their feet. In fact, every day cats sustain serious injuries from falling out of open windows, off balconies, and from rooftops. Cats do not fear heights and will often leap after a bird or out of a window only to find themselves falling through the air. 

If a cat falls a short distance, he can usually right himself and land on his feet. If he falls more than one or two floors, however, he may sustain injury. Although they can generally right themselves, the legs and feet cannot absorb the shock. Whether or not a cat lands on its feet depends on several factors, including the distance they fall and the surface on which they fall onto.

The trauma sustained from a fall of over two stories (24 to 30 feet) is known as high-rise-syndrome. High-rise syndrome is more common in built up areas. Studies done on cats that have fallen from 2 to 32 stories show that the overall survival rate is a surprising 90 percent. Strangely, cats that fall from a height under 6 stories have more severe trauma than those that fall from over 6 stories. One theory is that cats reach terminal velocity at about 5 stories, and at this point they relax, allowing a more distributed force of impact and less severe injuries. When cats land before reaching top speed, they are rigid and flexed and prepared for the landing. This results in most of the force impacting the parts of the body that hit initially. Read up on High-Rise-Sydrome for more information.

In a study from the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, two veterinarians examined 132 cases of cats that had fallen out of high-rise windows. On average, the cats fell 5.5 stories, but 90 percent survived, although many suffered severe injuries. The number of broken bones and injuries increased with the number of stories the cat had fallen – up to seven stories. Above seven stories, however, the number of injuries declined. In other words, the farther the cat fell, the better the chances of escaping injury were.

It's instinctive for both humans and animals to tense their muscles when free-falling, which makes them more susceptible to injury. When cats land before reaching top speed, they are rigid and flexed and prepared for the landing. This results in most of the force impacting the parts of the body that hit initially. However, after reaching terminal velocity, cats relax their muscles and spread themselves out like flying squirrels. This allows the impact of the fall to be spread across a larger surface area. 

Your cat may be able to survive a fall – but, then again, he might not. You never know ... and prevention is better than a visit to your veterinary clinic.

*This information was gathered from Dr. Jon at www.petplace.com