Do Cats Always Land Naturally On Their Feet?

Cats, on most occasions do appear to land on their feet when pouncing from tall heights. The reasons for this are:

1. Terminal Velocity
They reach terminal velocity (constant speed of falling) at a much faster rate than humans when skydiving. It is estimated that they reach terminal velocity at 5-storeys.

2. Strong “righting” reflexes
They can easily twist their bodies until they are the correct side up.

3. Flexibility
They have the ability to extend their legs to increase their surface area to minimise the fall.

But in saying all this, it is important that we prevent our cats from being in a position of falling from great heights as not all cats can land on their feet.

Tips:
• Always close your windows when your cat is around
• Always know where your cat is
• Prevent your cat from being on a balcony
• Always close your doors