How do cats try to protect themselves when falling from great heights?
Cats never fail to fascinate human beings. They can be friendly and affeceionate towards
humans, but they lead mysterious lives of their ownas well. They never become submissive
like dogs and horses. As a result, huaman have learned to respect feline independence.
Most cats remain suspicious of humans all their lives. One of the things that facinates us
most about cats is the popular belief that they have nine lives. Apparently, there is a
good deal of truth in this idea. A cat's ability to survice falls is based on fact.
Recently the New York Animal Medical Centre made a study of 132 cats over a period of
five months. All these cats had one experience in common: they had fallen off high
buildings, yet only eight of them died from shock or injuries. Of course, New York is
the ideal place for such an interesting study, because there is no shortage of tall
bulidings. There are plenty of high-rise windowsills to fall from! One cat, Sabrina, fell
32 stroeys, yet only suffered a broken tooth. Cats behave like well-trained paratroopers,'
a doctor said. It seems that the further cats fall, the less they are likely to injure
themselves. In a long drop, they reach speeds of 60 miles an hour and more. At high
speeds, falling cats have time to relax. This increases their air-resistance and reduces
the shock of impact when they hit the ground.