How Do Cats Always Land On Their Feet?

If you are a cat parent and have seen a cat lose balance and have a fall, you might have always noticed that the cat always lands on its feet. How do the cats manage to do it? This unique ability of the cat has always been impressive and has always created an aura of uniqueness around the cat. Let us try finding the reasons for why cats land on their feet easily.

Why Do Cats Always Land On Their Feet?

Cats have a unique capability of landing on their feet when they have a fall. This capability called the Righting Reflex is not necessarily a learned behavior, but something that is developed intrinsically and inherently. The behaviour begins the development when the cat is 3 to 4 weeks old and fully developed at the age of 6 to 9 weeks.

As soon as the cat begins to feel that it is falling, it begins to shift the balance. the cat’s vestibular system helps it automatically decide the right side up. The vestibular system is located in the inner ear of most of the mammals and provides a sense of balance and spatial orientation.

As the cat begins to fall, it begins rotating its head and spine. It relaxes and spreads itself to adjust its body like a parachute in the air. Front and hind legs reposition below the body just before hitting the ground.

Do Cats Always Land On Their Feet?

While the cats have been known to land on their feet, it may not always be the case. It all depends on the height of the fall. There are times when you may witness that the cat may not be able to land exactly on its feet when the height is too high or too low. The cat needs to get the right measure to help it handle its posture while in the air.

It is not guaranteed that your cat will land safely on its feet and be completely safer. Depending on the fall and the intensity of it, your cat may sustain grievous injuries and even broken limbs, even when it lands on its feet. It is important to ensure that your home does not have many cat jumping areas.

The cat may rely too much on its righting reflex and may indulge in life-threatening jumps and sustain falls that it might not have anticipated. Even when the cats are known to safeguard themselves when they fall, their limbs may or may not be able to sustain the shock of landing.

When your cat has had a fall, even when you find that the cat is safe, it is advisable to get in touch with your veterinarian. Your vet should be helpful enough in addressing the concerns if any.

How Do Cats Rotate Their Body in The Air?

When the cat begins to fall, it will have its four paws up in the sky with its back facing the ground. The body of the cat at this stage will be falling below only under the force of gravitation. If your cat continues to fall in this position, it will will hit the ground on its back and perhaps face serious injuries.

However, while it is falling, the cat itself twists its body in a process called Righting Reflex. Righting Reflex is a mechanism that the cat uses to turn its body mid-air when having a fall. This aerial righting reflex is observed in many of the mammals which can include cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, rats, and primates.

The Physics of Falling Cat

A falling cat has always been a unique concept for ages. It has even mesmerized the physics experts. French scientist Etienne Jules Marey tested the concept of Righting Reflex. His way of experimenting may appear to be a bit cruel, but he has been able to understand the actual physics in the background of the cat’s fall.

He dropped a cat and used his chronophotographic camera to record the movements of the cat’s body. The movements were recorded at 60 frames per second. He could then watch the exact movement in slow motion.

The vestibular organ in the cat’s inner ear helps the cat to determine which side is up. The vestibular organ helps the cat to understand which side is up. Once the cat has determined which side its legs should be on, it rotates its head to visualize where it is going to hit the ground at.

This is when the cat’s spine comes into play. The unique skeletal structure comes into play at this stage. It has no collarbone and a flexible backbone with 30 vertebrae. The cat begins to arch its back, it repositions its legs below its body. The front paws are kept as much close to the face as possible to ensure that they can protect the face from the impact. When it ultimately has the fall, the legs will be ready to bear the impact of the fall.

Do All Cats Have the Righting Reflex? 

Most of the cats come with the innate feline ability for righting reflex. However, there may be cases where some cats do not have this ability. There are some cases where, even when your cat is capable, it may experience a fatal fall despite the righting reflex being properly in place.

Ideally, cats having a fall from a shorter height tend to suffer more injuries than those falling from greater heights. The reason is obvious – a longer height gives the cat the ability to adjust its body to avoid a grievous fall and manage to land safely on its four feet.

Typically, a cat falling from two to six stories is expected to sustain more injuries than a cat having a fall from seven to 32 stories.

The Concluding Thoughts

If you have been wondering what makes the cat land on its feet whenever it has a fall, you have found the answer now. It may be noticed the exact mechanism behind the righting reflex is not exactly known. It is a very unique capability that your cat excels in and something that saves it from most of the falls.

However, do remember that even when it is a saving grace for the cat, it does not guarantee an assured safety for your cat. There are cases when your cat may not be able to judge things and may have a fatal fall. Make sure to carry your cat to the vet whenever it has had a fall.