why don't cats fall upside-down?

Question

they get to fall on their feet instead of their backs,you know.............

Answer 1

Cats DON'T ALWAYS land on their feet.

Therefore, it is wrong to toss them in the air, or drop them from a high place, to see if they do. Cats CAN get seriously hurt or killed from this type of activity.

The way their body works during a fall is as follows:

When falling they are able to turn their head around enough so that they are looking at the ground. Then the body is twisted around to become realigned with the head by using the tail as a counter balance. Once realigned/oriented with it's feet in the downward position, it spreads itself out, much like a flying squirrel, so that its' body acts like and airfoil (wing) and that helps to slow the fall down. Near the ground the cat relaxes its' body, and puts its' four feet down to help absorb the shock of hitting the ground.

Usually, the cat is fine and will walk away with no injuries. Occasionally the cat is injured or even killed from the fall.

Hope this helps you to understand a little better.

Answer 2

If cats fall a short distance, they can almost always right themselves and land on their feet. If they fall more than one or two floors, however, they may sustain severe or even fatal injuries. The number of cats who become injured from falling is increasing, partially because of the large number of multi-story apartment buildings. Cats who are injured during falls are often said to have 'high rise syndrome.'

The uniqueness of the cat's skeleton is one of the reasons they can right themselves so quickly. Cats do not have a collarbone, and the bones in their backbone have more mobility than in many other animals. For these reasons, cats have free movement of their front legs and they can easily bend and rotate their bodies. This allows them to land feet first. Their feet and legs can cushion the impact. This righting reflex begins to appear at 3-4 weeks of age, and is perfected at 7 weeks.

If cats fall a larger distance such as two or more floors, even though they can right themselves, their legs and feet can no longer absorb all of the shock. Their heads may hit the ground and they often bruise their chin and may fracture some teeth. Falls of four or more floors cause the cat to hit the ground at maximum velocity and thus acquire a multitude of injuries including a ruptured diaphragm, torn liver, and fractured bones.

There are certainly instances of cats falling only a short distance and acquiring severe injuries.

http://peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=1&cat=1313&articleid=1106

Answer 3

Cats don't always manage to land on their feet. Cats do have a sort of self righting body positioning physical structure though. All the cat has to do is push the front two feet down then the back two will align themselves accordingly.

Answer 4

Its their instinct born in them.