{"id":2797,"date":"2017-03-07T05:13:31","date_gmt":"2017-03-07T11:13:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.diamondpet.wearewoodruff.xyz\/?p=2797"},"modified":"2026-02-17T10:08:23","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T16:08:23","slug":"do-cats-always-land-on-their-feet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/blog\/culture\/myths\/do-cats-always-land-on-their-feet\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Cats Really Always Land on Their Feet?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to \u201cDebarking Pet Myths,\u201d a monthly series dedicated to addressing common myths, misconceptions and even old wives\u2019 tales about dogs and cats.<\/em><\/p>\n

For more than 150 years, physicists and others have been fascinated by the aerial acrobatics behind this month\u2019s myth<\/em>: A cat always lands on its feet.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although cats appear to defy physics with their righting reflex, we now know how they perform the amazing midair gymnastics that allow them to land on their feet most<\/em> of the time.<\/p>\n

An innate ability supported by skeletal differences<\/h2>\n

A cat\u2019s inborn talent to reorient its body while falling is called an aerial righting reflex. It begins to appear in kittens when they\u2019re about 3 weeks old, and is highly developed \u2014 if not perfected \u2014 at around 7 weeks of age.<\/p>\n

However, this innate skill wouldn\u2019t be possible without the support of some unique skeletal features. The feline skeleton combines tiny rudimentary collarbones (aka clavicles) and shoulder blades connected to the body by muscles (not bones, as in humans) with a long, unusually supple spine (30 vertebrae compared to our 24). As a result, cats can twist their bodies to a much greater extent than other animals, squeeze through tight spaces and run with an extended stride.<\/p>\n

How cats nearly always land on their feet<\/h3>\n

Here\u2019s how cats right themselves in midair for a feet-first landing:<\/p>\n