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General Science => General Science => Topic started by: paul.fr on 12/03/2007 04:48:06

Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: paul.fr on 12/03/2007 04:48:06: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: another_someone on 12/03/2007 10:19:31: My understanding is that it depends on how far they have to fall. A little like a parachutist, if he is too close to the ground when he jumps, does not have time for his chute to open; so too, I understand that if a cat is too close to the ground, they will not have time to rotate themselves around to make sure their feet hit the ground first.
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: lightarrow on 12/03/2007 11:49:03: Yes, however cats are very smart in doing it.
I made some "experiments" when I was a boy, I took all their 4 feet with my hands, let them stay with feet up, body down, and then let them go, from about 30 cm or less; they were still able to rotate and land with their feet!

Somwhere I saw a videotape: if I remember correctly, they rotate the tail and half of the body, first, touching the ground with two feet (for example the rear feet), then they rotate the other half of the body and touch the ground with the other two feet. Everything in a fraction of second!

Please, don't do it with little cats and on a hard pavement! [:)]
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: Karen W. on 12/03/2007 12:25:50: My old cat, Never landed on her feet regaurdles of height and was constanyly landing on her hips which in the end were a great source of pain for her. She was contantly scaling a ladder or trying to sleep high up on hand rail to the barn etc, She was such a duffus! I loved her. I never seen her ever land on her feet onc. once i tried to let her down from about bed height, s not good. her hip took most of the fall and I felt horrible. Poor girl just never was a graceful Cat! I agree that most do, but certainly not all!
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: lightarrow on 12/03/2007 20:29:24: Quote from: Karen W. on 12/03/2007 12:25:50
My old cat, Never landed on her feet regaurdles of height and was constanyly landing on her hips which in the end were a great source of pain for her. She was contantly scaling a ladder or trying to sleep high up on hand rail to the barn etc, She was such a duffus! I loved her. I never seen her ever land on her feet onc. once i tried to let her down from about bed height, s not good. her hip took most of the fall and I felt horrible. Poor girl just never was a graceful Cat! I agree that most do, but certainly not all!
Poor cat! I'm sorry for her.
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: moonfire on 12/03/2007 22:51:53: I agree....poor kitty....
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 13/03/2007 08:52:48: What would happen if you tied 2 cats back-to-back and dropped them out of a window? [;D]
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: science_guy on 13/03/2007 14:44:28: Quote
What would happen if you tied 2 cats back-to-back and dropped them out of a window?

I see two situations:
1)cats bring out secret laser knife, escape, put it away, discard the strings, turn bodys, and land on feet all in one second.

2)you get a visit from the animal cops, and you have the eternal emnity of the cats.
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: Karen W. on 13/03/2007 15:07:36: POOR KITTIES!!
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: lightarrow on 15/03/2007 18:52:56: Quote from: DoctorBeaver on 13/03/2007 08:52:48
What would happen if you tied 2 cats back-to-back and dropped them out of a window? [;D]

If you did this experiment with many couples of cats, I expect 50% of them rotating one in sincrony with the other and so landing on their feet, and the other 50%...

This reminds me the Stern-Gerlach experiment!
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: Carolyn on 20/03/2007 01:41:57: (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc87%2Fkochcarolyn%2FMiscellaneous397.jpg&hash=e45870f538c04bffcabb48e60a81f268)

This is Bob. He's a 20 pound bob tail cat. He's not feeling well here, so he's being treated like a king. Sadly, Bob fell off of a shelf and did not land on his feet. He landed on the dogs and they had a good time with him. He managed to escape and now is doing much better after a trip to the kitty doctor.
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: ukmicky on 20/03/2007 13:42:23: "Treated like a king " You could say he has definatly landed on his feet now.
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: Karen W. on 20/03/2007 15:10:10: Pretty Boy "BOB" Carolyn.. Always did Like tiger stripes..
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: neilep on 20/03/2007 17:58:51: Quote from: Carolyn on 20/03/2007 01:41:57
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc87%2Fkochcarolyn%2FMiscellaneous397.jpg&hash=e45870f538c04bffcabb48e60a81f268)

This is Bob. He's a 20 pound bob tail cat. He's not feeling well here, so he's being treated like a king. Sadly, Bob fell off of a shelf and did not land on his feet. He landed on the dogs and they had a good time with him. He managed to escape and now is doing much better after a trip to the kitty doctor.

Aww Carolyn......I am sooooo happy Bob is getting better.......me luffs cats soooooo much !!......he does look content.........sending him huggy catty luffs and shmishes of feline luff and joy !!
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: neilep on 20/03/2007 18:02:57: What would happen if you attach a piece of bread butter side up onto the back of cat and then turned cat upside down and let it go about three feet off the ground ?

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LOL....I thought that before pressing ' POST ' I should take a look and I found this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttered_cat_paradox
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 21/03/2007 08:48:31: Anti-gravity cat! That's hilarious [:D]
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: lightarrow on 22/03/2007 20:43:54: Very funny! [:D] Thanks neil!
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: neilep on 22/03/2007 23:14:15: LOL....thanks for enjoying it !!...it looks so ridiculous I can't help smiling too !!..YAYYYYYYYYYY !!!
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: JimBob on 23/03/2007 04:27:25: But the toast is attached to a black cat and they are bad luck anyway. What if the cat were a tabby?

(And to be absolutely scientific about the paradox the arrows should have vector indicators to show the absolute relative motion and velocity of each line of force.)
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: science_guy on 23/03/2007 15:06:27: Quote
What would happen if you attach a piece of bread butter side up onto the back of cat and then turned cat upside down and let it go about three feet off the ground ?

LOL....I thought that before pressing ' POST ' I should take a look and I found this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttered_cat_paradox

Hey! that looks exactly like one of my cats!
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: yor_on on 08/02/2009 16:18:53: Cats do it exactly like how you are taught in all 'marshal arts, boxing etc'. There you will learn to never take your eyes off your 'objective'.
They will turn their heads first, and then their body will follow.

We have that reflex too, but it's more 'diluted' I think?
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: Make it Lady on 08/02/2009 17:02:33: Some cats with spinal problems cannot do the full twist that it requires to flip.
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: graham.d on 09/02/2009 13:29:06: My old cat once jumped from the arm of a chair on to the arm of a settee but somehow misjudged it and toppled somewhat ungracefully to the floor. She then gracefully recovered and I'd swrear she said (or at least indicated by her demeaner) "I meant to do that".
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: dentstudent on 09/02/2009 13:40:06: Quote from: yor_on on 08/02/2009 16:18:53
Cats do it exactly like how you are taught in all 'marshal arts, boxing etc'. There you will learn to never take your eyes off your 'objective'.
They will turn their heads first, and then their body will follow.

Here is a short clip of the process.

http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/time-warp-slow-motion-clips-cat-landing.html
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: paul.fr on 09/02/2009 13:50:14: Quote from: Make it Lady on 08/02/2009 17:02:33
Some cats with spinal problems cannot do the full twist that it requires to flip.

Well, they will have to be marked down then.
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: yor_on on 09/02/2009 16:10:38: beautiful cat Mr Dent:)
And a nice shot.
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: dentstudent on 09/02/2009 16:14:10: Quote from: yor_on on 09/02/2009 16:10:38
beautiful cat Mr Dent:)
And a nice shot.

I have very good aim....
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: blakestyger on 09/02/2009 19:49:48: Quote from: neilep on 20/03/2007 18:02:57
LOL....I thought that before pressing ' POST ' I should take a look and I found this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttered_cat_paradox

This isn't as daft as it sounds, although it is very funny.

In essence, this is the same thought experiment that Galileo (using neither toast nor cat) used to demonstrate that two objects, one heavy and one light, if dropped from a tower would land at the same time.

His line of reasoning was that if the objects were to attached to one another, would the heavy one speed up the lighter one or would the lighter one slow down the heavy one? How could you tell which was the case? On this basis he decided they would land together - only then did the practical demonstration take place.
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: rosalind dna on 12/02/2009 10:55:09: All the cats that I've ever owned have always fallen "paws-first" even the pair that I've
got now.

Nope I shan't try the toast and butter test
Title: Do cats always land on thier feet?
Post by: blakestyger on 12/02/2009 11:54:18: If it were possible to get a cat to cooperate it would be fun to try both the Buttered Cat paradox and the Schrodinger Cat experiment. But which do you do first?

Puts on Harry Hill shirt, biros in top pocket - "There's only one way to find out".