Why Do Cats Land On Their Feet?

Before we ask why do cats land on their feet, let’s ask if they actually do land on their feet. The simple answer is yes. Cats almost always do land on their feet.

Depending on the height and distance they fall, they may not land on their feet 100% of the time. But even when they don’t land on all four feet, they still usually manage to land upright. Even if they started the fall upside down.

How is this possible? It goes against science, nature, gravity… But most of all, it goes against what the human eye can see. Find out why cats land on their feet as we unlock the mystery of this feline superpower.

Why cats land on their feet: Invisible to the naked eye

Why cats land on their feet is a phenomenon that has perplexed humans for ages. Mainly because we can’t see with the naked eye the complex moves they make to achieve this. All we see is the cat falling and landing but nothing in between.

The ‘seeing is believing’ saying has been doing the rounds for so long that it’s no wonder we’re often perplexed. However, in 1894, French scientist Étienne-Jules Marey cracked the code by creating a special camera that could see what we can’t.

Here’s what his photos show:

Cats land on their feet thanks to a flexible spine

Marey’s camera took twelve separate images in a single second which showed each of a cat’s movements as it falls. It seems that a cat can swivel its spine in two halves so it’s able to use them to exert a force against each other.

This is why even though Newton’s first law of motion reasons that a falling object can’t change its position without another force exerted on it – a cat can exert its own force on itself. Wowser!

Watch this video to see how Marey cracked the code of why cats land on their feet:

How and why do cats land on their feet?

In short, cats land on their feet because of their uber flexible spine that contorts so it can rotate in two parts. As cat owners you will have seen this when your cat rolls over on the floor. They stretch their paws out far and wide then pull them closed to start the roll.

The front half is always kind of doing its thing just before the back half. Sometimes the front and back parts of their body will even be bent at a kind of right angle showing just how flexi-spined cats truly are! And if you think this is amazing, read about the amazing benefits of sleeping with your cat. It’s no wonder we worship them!

Cat righting reflex

Among many others, this twirling move has got to be one of the most endearing things cats can do. And cats of all shapes and sizes have the ability, from domestic cats and kittens through to big cats in the wild.

The ability to know up from down and land on its feet is called the cat’s righting reflex and kittens develop this ability from as young as three to four weeks old. You may think the cat’s tail plays a role, but even cats without tales can land on their feet.

“In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.”

― Terry Pratchett

It’s all thanks to their flexible backbone combined with yet another cat superpower: cat collarbones. Unlike humans, a cat’s collarbones isn’t attached to the bones around it making science defying flexibility possible.

Women have a similar superpower, during labour their bones move apart and the pelvic bones even separate slightly. This allows the female of the species to be flexible enough to give birth. Pretty amazing huh?

Cat insurance for a softer landing

Happily for those times your cat doesn’t land on its feet, your pet insurance plan can help you pay the healthcare bills. Find out what each of our three cat insurance plans include.

They range from our most basic – Accident plan – which includes prescription medicine, surgery, hospitalisation, non-routine vet visits and more, to our Deluxe plan, which has a much higher annual benefit limit and includes dental cover too.

So if you’re still wondering why cats land on their feet the answer is one part natural ability, plus another part loving pet owners who pick them up after a fall by having a cat insurance plan 😉 Click below to get a quote today.