Cats are renowned for always landing on their feet. While that’s not entirely true, “cat physics” sounds like an oxymoron. Scientific laws don’t appear to apply to animals that can squeeze into ...

The Height Problem Most People Don’t Know About For the righting reflex to work, a cat needs enough time in the air to adjust its position. Falls from very short distances may not give it that chance.

Cats, according to popular belief, always land on their feet—even when they fall from a great height. But is this really true? And if so, why are cats often able to land on all fours after a fall?

Researchers used high-speed cameras and motion tracking to show the air-righting reflex relies on spine flexion, front and rear body rotation, and tail adjustments that conserve zero angular momentum ...