I have a cat, and he always lands on his feet whenever he jumps high or flips by accidents. This fact made made me ask this question.
2007-10-20 11:08:46 · 3 answers · asked by Roger 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
Cats have a natural " righting" reflex. This mechanism is very complicated and governed by a complex organ in the inner ear that determines a specific sequence of events. Simplified, this organ sends information about the position of the cat's head in relation to the ground. In fractions of seconds, the brain commands the head to change position in order to protect it. When her head is level, she first flips the top half of her body around to face the ground, then flips the rear.
In the process, she uses her tail to adjust for any overbalance. Finally, she's ready for landing and reached the ground on all four feet with her back arched to cushion the impact.
The trick to her success, though, is time. She needs a minimum of 1.8 seconds to "right" herself. Though she is able to accomplish this in a fall as short as one-foot, her chances of sucess are much better at greater heights (within limits).
Keep in mind cats don't always land on their feet and that even if they land upright, they can sustain severe injuries from the impact.
2007-10-20 14:31:01 · answer #1 · answered by Turtle 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cats naturally have a very good sense of balance, and are able to twist their bodies midair so that they land on their feet.
2007-10-20 18:18:06 · answer #2 · answered by jellybeanchick 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Their tails and whiskers give them amazing balance and they have super quick reflexes.
2007-10-20 18:23:29 · answer #3 · answered by Michelle 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋