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Asked by BluePanther!!!! to Rob, Martin, Martin, James, Elizabeth on 16 Mar 2015. This question was also asked by Bethy Boo.
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James Coombs OBrien answered on 16 Mar 2015:
haha very good question!
It’s pretty amazing that they can, they also don’t have to think about it, like we don’t have to think about breathing. They have a very flexible backbone which lets when twist around in the air so their legs hit the ground first.
I guess it comes from long ago when cats would have lived up in tree. They developed this ability to not get hurt when they fall out of tree!
Thanks!
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Martin Wieczysty answered on 16 Mar 2015:
Cats bodies have evolved to be highly athletic like a gymnast, which involves having good balance, and awareness of where they are in relation to the ground. This makes them good predators, so they can pounce very quickly and run up trees/walls/fences to catch birds and mice.
Have you ever seen a gymnast to a backflip? 99 times out of 100 he/she will land on their feet. The human brain, along with the inner ear, gives the gymnast the ability to “feel” where the at a given time. This timing is crucial, so they know when to tuck their legs in and activate certain muscle groups.
Olympic divers do the same – they have to hit the water completely straight after doing many somersaults and twists.
Cats therefore use a combination of balance and muscle twitches to land on their feet. -
Elizabeth Cooper answered on 17 Mar 2015:
Cats can land on their feet due to their reflexes. cats can turn their bodies in the air as they are falling so that they position themselves to land on their feet.
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