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Interesting Facts: Why Cats Land on Their Feet
24.11.2023 23:00
Updated: 13.05.2024 21:22
Cats have a built-in balancing system called the righting reflex.
Why do cats fall on their feet
The righting reflex allows them to orient themselves and land on their paw pads.
However, the height of the fall can affect whether the landing is successful.
Landing on its feet is a cat’s innate ability, that is, a reflex that begins to develop in a kitten at about 3-4 weeks.
A well-developed vestibular apparatus and a flexible spine, as well as the absence of collarbones, are responsible for a cat’s ability to maintain balance.
An American physicist built a model of a cat falling from the floor of a high-rise building.
Assuming that the cat had already turned in flight, he quantitatively described its movement and shock absorption by its paws on various surfaces, and also qualitatively compared the load on the cat's bones and joints with a similar effect on the human musculoskeletal system.
What height is dangerous for cats
When falling from a lower height, the animal simply does not have time to group correctly, and when falling from a higher height, no grouping will help.
As practice shows, any fall can be unsuccessful.
