As long as a cat is able to see, it usually land on all four paws. It’s something they have developed over time from climbing trees to pounce on their prey, run away from predators and looking down on the world from a high bough! Although cats have developed an arch shaped claw which are better for climbing than using as weapons, these claws apparently only works on tree trunks, but are pretty useless against bricks and metals. As a result, when cats prey on moving birds from the ledge of windows, they could not hold on to anything to save themselves.
Cats are known to pounce on their prey. They identify their prey through moving objects. People living in tall buildings often allow their cats to sit on window ledges allowing their cats to pounce on any moving objects that are seen outside the windows. There are so many cats known to have fallen off tall buildings that urban veterinarians gave it a name: The High- rise Syndrome.
However, they have found a puzzling yet interesting phenomenon about cats falling off tall buildings. That is, cats that fall from higher floors did not suffer as much injuries as cats that fall from lower floors. In fact, if the cat is given prompt medical attention, cats that fall from two to thirty-two stories would have survived 90% of the time.
The medical team from New York did a research based on cats coming through their doors from falling through high rise buildings. They found out that cats that fall from a height under six stories sustain more severe injuries compared to cats falling from over six stories. Based on their study, they have developed a theory that explains this phenomenon: cats reach terminal velocity when at about five stories. At this point they relax and are able to spread their bodies like parachutes allowing them to slow themselves down. This ability of the cat to increase drag is vital in the cats survival, as they could slow down the acceleration of free fall from a human’s 130mph to theirs of just 60mph. As they land, they arch their backs to cushion the impact, therefore less severe injuries.
Here’s a video to explain a cat’s survival ‘techniques’ as it falls from buildings: http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/animals/mammals-animals/cats/cats_domestic_ninelives.html
In contrast, when cats fall from lower stories, they did not manage to reach top speed. They are rigid and flexed. They did not have time to position themselves in a way to cushion the impact, thus suffering from greater impact.
To record, a cat has known to survive from a fall of 42 stories high. However, it is not without any injuries that the cat still survives. Many cats that fall from great heights are known to have undergone fractures, broken teeth, or internal injuries upon landing. Therefore, it is very important that the cat gets prompt treatment after going through a traumatic fall. Else, the rate of survival would not be as high.
The ability for cats to position themselves in such a way that enables them to survive falling from extreme heights certainly lives up to the myth that cats have nine lives!
References:
"High-Rise Syndrome" by Jason Bellows. Damn Interesting, 8 November 2006.
"Does a Falling Cat Always Land on Its Feet?" by John Stossel and Frank Mastropolo. abc News, 15 August 2007.
"Highrise Syndrome in Cats," by Dr Dawn Ruben. PetPlace.com.