Now we know that cats don’t really have nine lives! However, everyone may have heard the rumor that “no matter how high they fall, they won’t die.” Is this rumor really true? What does science say about it?
Most creatures, including humans and dogs, have difficulty maintaining their body balance when falling from a high place, so they will land in various postures, causing fatal injuries. On the other hand, cats have excellent body balance. They can adjust their bodies in mid-air and maintain an upright posture, reducing the impact force using their paws, hence they won’t be fatally injured when they fall from a medium height. (Around 2/F to 6/F)
If the cat falls from a higher place (Above 7/F), it’s also not a problem at all! When the falling speed reaches terminal velocity, cats will stretch out their whole body, increasing the overall surface area, spreading the impact of the landing to the body, hence increasing the chance of survival. The principle is not much different from that of a parachute~
However, “No matter how high a cat fall, you won’t die.” It’s still nonsense! Research has pointed out that the degree of injury of cats is proportional to the falling height. Even if there were cases of cats surviving a 30 floor drop, but it certainly doesn’t mean that every cat can survive this height. Therefore, remember to install a window net before raising a cat!
Share with us your thoughts!
