Feline Body MechanicsSeen in slow motion, a falling cat begins to shift his balance from the second his flight begins. His body determines which side should be up, and he begins rotating his head, directed by his eyes and ears, until he’s facing that way. Next his spine follows as he arches his back; then his front feet, followed by his hind legs, get positioned under him, with his front paws placed close to his face to spare it from the ground’s impact. As he lands, the cat’s leg joints bear the impact of his weight. A falling cat is less like an airplane and more like a parachute. As his body orients itself to the falling motion, it relaxes and spreads out for the landing ahead. You can see an example in this video.
Cats are also gifted in other ways for landing on their feet. They are born with flexible backbones that enable that course correction while falling. Cats also have 30 vertebrae, which contributes to their suppleness (humans have just 24). And while their tails often act as rudders in daily activities, tails are insignificant in freefall -- so even a cat born without a tail, such as the Manx, or the unlucky feline who’s lost his to injury can still navigate a fall.
The cat’s inner ear houses his vestibular system, which tells the cat’s body where it is in relation to the ground, whether upside down, in motion, or walking around. The system lets the cat’s body correctly orient itself and regain balance after a fall.
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