Why Do Cats Land on Their Feet?
Cats are known for being some of the most nimble creatures that make great house pets.
However, it is a common misconception that cats always land on their feet.
Though they are usually able to maneuver their bodies to land on their feet, it is not a hundred percent accurate.
However, there are some factors that make cats land on their feet most of the time.
Animals in the cat category do not fear heights because they are excellent climbers and are used to pouncing on their prospective prey.
Cats are natural predators and hunt different types of bugs, birds, and other smaller animals.
Their natural inclination to lunge at prey has made them evolve with certain advantages of being very acrobatic, especially when operating at higher altitudes.
Part of why cats usually land on their feet is because of their musculoskeletal system.
The musculoskeletal system is the internal make up of a cats physique and give them excellent mobility and coordination in their limbs.
This means when a cat is airborne, it can maneuver its body exceptionally well giving them more control of their faculties.
These animals also have reflexes that are instinctive when leaping and falling to the ground.
These reflexes center around a cats ability to determine which way is up and which way is down.
While free falling, a cat can move its body so that its head is protected by its paws, it lands right side up, and all four paws hit the ground at the same time to brace it for impact.
Being able to right themselves in mid air is thanks to an internal organ that all felines possess, which is named the vestibular apparatus.
This fluid filled sac in the brain allows a cat to determine its body position in mid air, much like a pilot can with the right gauges.
By utilizing this necessary organ, cats have evolved to be very acrobatic creatures but can still be hurt if falling more than two stories.
Felines have many evolutionary factors that play into them usually landing on their feet.
They have a musculoskeletal system that give them great mobility while in midair and on the ground.
They also have a vestibular apparatus in their brain that gives them a great equilibrium that allows them to distinguish up and down while in mid-air.
However, they can still be injured if they fall from higher heights.
However, it is a common misconception that cats always land on their feet.
Though they are usually able to maneuver their bodies to land on their feet, it is not a hundred percent accurate.
However, there are some factors that make cats land on their feet most of the time.
Animals in the cat category do not fear heights because they are excellent climbers and are used to pouncing on their prospective prey.
Cats are natural predators and hunt different types of bugs, birds, and other smaller animals.
Their natural inclination to lunge at prey has made them evolve with certain advantages of being very acrobatic, especially when operating at higher altitudes.
Part of why cats usually land on their feet is because of their musculoskeletal system.
The musculoskeletal system is the internal make up of a cats physique and give them excellent mobility and coordination in their limbs.
This means when a cat is airborne, it can maneuver its body exceptionally well giving them more control of their faculties.
These animals also have reflexes that are instinctive when leaping and falling to the ground.
These reflexes center around a cats ability to determine which way is up and which way is down.
While free falling, a cat can move its body so that its head is protected by its paws, it lands right side up, and all four paws hit the ground at the same time to brace it for impact.
Being able to right themselves in mid air is thanks to an internal organ that all felines possess, which is named the vestibular apparatus.
This fluid filled sac in the brain allows a cat to determine its body position in mid air, much like a pilot can with the right gauges.
By utilizing this necessary organ, cats have evolved to be very acrobatic creatures but can still be hurt if falling more than two stories.
Felines have many evolutionary factors that play into them usually landing on their feet.
They have a musculoskeletal system that give them great mobility while in midair and on the ground.
They also have a vestibular apparatus in their brain that gives them a great equilibrium that allows them to distinguish up and down while in mid-air.
However, they can still be injured if they fall from higher heights.
