Cats are known for their agility and ability to land on their feet. But how high can cats actually fall from and survive? It’s amazing that cats can suffer falls from heights over 5 stories and walk away relatively unscathed. This article will define the topic and outline key questions around how high cats can fall without sustaining major injuries. We’ll provide an overview of cats’ incredible ability to right themselves during a fall and survive impacts that would seriously harm other animals.
Anatomy
Cats have a lightweight and flexible skeleton that allows them to absorb impact forces during a fall. Their bones are small, hollow, and connected by loose, elastic joints [1]. Cats also have thick padding of fat and muscle around vital organs, as well as loose skin that can stretch and move independently of the body. This creates a protective buffer that cushions internal structures upon impact.
Additionally, cats have a unique “righting reflex” that allows them to orient themselves while falling so they can land on their feet. This reflex causes them to twist their bodies, relax their muscles to avoid injury, and spread out to increase drag and slowing during a fall [2]. Their flexible spine allows front and back legs to swing around, enabling a feet-first landing. All these anatomical adaptations enable cats to survive falls from heights that would seriously injure or kill other animals.
Terminal Velocity
Terminal velocity is the maximum speed an object achieves while falling through air. When an object is falling, gravity accelerates it downwards while air resistance pushes against it upwards. Eventually, these two forces balance out and the object stops accelerating, reaching its terminal velocity.
For cats, terminal velocity is around 60 mph or 97 km/h, according to research (BBC, Modkat). Cats can spread out their body to increase drag and slow their descent. Their relatively low terminal velocity, combined with other adaptations like the righting reflex, allow cats to survive falls from great heights.
Injuries
Cats falling from high-rises can suffer a range of severe injuries, with the potential for damage increasing the higher the fall.1 Common injuries include spinal cord trauma, head trauma, and broken bones. Spinal injuries may lead to paralysis if the spinal cord is severed or badly bruised. Head trauma, such as concussions or brain hemorrhages, can result in problems with balance, coordination, vision, and more. Broken bones, especially in the legs and paws, are also frequently seen.
According to experts, falls above 2-3 stories drastically increase the risk of severe injuries.2 Above 7 stories, the incidence of major injuries approaches 100%. This is because cats reach terminal velocity after falling about 5-7 stories. At terminal velocity, risk of injury becomes extremely high. Thus, the higher above 7 stories a cat falls, the greater the likelihood of life-threatening wounds. Quick veterinary treatment is imperative to stabilize injuries and give cats the best chance of survival.
Righting Reflex
Cats have an innate ability called the righting reflex that allows them to orient themselves while falling so they can land on their feet. This reflex is controlled by cats’ vestibular apparatus, the system in their inner ear that governs balance and spatial orientation. When cats sense they are falling, their vestibular apparatus triggers the righting reflex, causing them to twist their spine mid-air and arch their backs to rotate their bodies upright. Cats can accomplish this feat in under 0.2 seconds because their wide stances lower their center of gravity and flexible backbone enables fast twisting. Their tails act as counterweights to stabilize their landing. Kittens start developing this reflex around 3-4 weeks old (source). The righting reflex allows cats to land on their feet from falls at any angle or height, though falls from higher places increase injury risk.
Relaxed Posture
One of the ways cats are able to survive falls from great heights is by relaxing their bodies mid-air to increase wind resistance and slow the velocity of their fall. As soon as cats go into free fall, they relax their muscles and spread their legs outward. This causes their stomach and limbs to catch more air, creating drag that decelerates their descent. According to Wired, when relaxed, a cat’s terminal velocity is approximately 60 mph compared to 120 mph for a tense, tight cat1. By splaying out and maximizing surface area, cats can nearly halve their terminal velocity and reduce impact on landing.
Studies by veterinarians have confirmed this falling behavior in cats. High-speed video analysis shows that after an initial attempt to right themselves, cats will fully relax and pancake their bodies. The farther the fall, the more time cats have to get into this relaxed position and slow themselves. A relaxed posture increases drag and gives cats the best chance of minimizing injuries when they hit the ground.
Case Studies
There are many instances of cats surviving high falls, often with minimal injuries. In one remarkable case, a cat named Sugar fell 32 stories from an apartment building in Boston and survived with just a chipped tooth and a collapsed lung 1. In another incident, a cat nicknamed High-Rise fell 26 stories onto concrete and only suffered a broken jaw and pelvis2. These cases demonstrate cats’ amazing ability to withstand substantial falls when they are relaxed and can right themselves.
There are several factors that allow cats to survive falls from tall buildings, which we will explore in more depth throughout this article. Key factors include their ability to spread their legs out to increase drag, orient themselves to land feet first, relax their bodies to avoid injury, and their lightweight yet sturdy bone structure.
Limitations
While cats can survive surprisingly high falls, there are still limitations. According to one study published in the Journal Of The American Veterinary Medical Association, falls over 7 stories still resulted in severe injuries or death 50% of the time. Additionally, cats over 2 years old were much less likely to survive high falls than kittens. Other factors like underlying health conditions and the cat’s physical condition can also affect survival rates. So while cats have remarkable abilities to right themselves and survive falls from heights that would severely injure humans, very high falls can still be fatal. Age, health and other factors also play a role.
Prevention
There are several steps cat owners can take to prevent high-rise syndrome and keep cats safe from risky high perches and falls:
- Install window screens or restrict access to open windows using baby gates or other barriers. Be sure window screens are securely installed and can’t be pushed out by your cat (Source).
- Keep balcony doors closed or install pet gates to prevent access. Make sure any enclosure is high enough your cat can’t jump over it.
- Don’t allow cats on fire escapes, roof terraces or other exterior spaces without secure screening or barriers.
- Consider a harness and leash for supervised outdoor time on balconies or terraces.
- Place sticky tape, aluminum foil or other deterrents on surfaces your cat likes to jump on.
- Trim trees and shrubs near windows, balconies or terraces to remove launching points.
- Provide plenty of stimulating indoor play options like tall cat trees, scratching posts and interactive toys.
Taking preventative measures can help keep cats safely inside and avoid tragic falls. Continue supervised interaction with your cat and redirect any window or height fixation.
Conclusions
Cats are remarkably adept at surviving falls from great heights. Their unique anatomy and instincts allow them to right themselves, relax their bodies, and spread the impact across their entire frame. While falls can still cause injuries, most cats are able to walk away relatively unharmed. Key learnings include:
- Cats can reach terminal velocities of 60 mph when falling, but they are unlikely to exceed speeds faster than this due to air resistance.
- Cats’ flexible backbone and lack of collarbone enables them to twist mid-air and land on their feet.
- When relaxed, cats can spread the impact of the fall across their entire body, reducing risk of major injury.
- High-rise falls do not necessarily mean certain death for cats – there are many real-world examples of cats surviving falls from over 10 stories.
- While preventing falls is ideal, cats’ instincts and physical abilities make them adept survivalists for any height tumble.
In closing, cat owners can rest assured knowing their feline companions are remarkably equipped to handle falls and land on their feet.