


"Who, What, Why: How do cats survive falls from great heights?". University of California Museum of Paleontology. "Vertebrate Flight: Gliding and Parachuting". International Journal of Solids and Structures. "A dynamical explanation of the falling cat phenomenon". Superstrings and Other Things: A Guide to Physics. "An insight into the Biomechanics of Twisting". Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Medical Engineering. "How does a Cat always land on its feet?". "Development and maturation of postural reflexes in normal kittens".

However, critics of the study pointed out a survivorship bias in that instantly fatal falls were not included (as an already dead cat would not be taken to the vet), questioning the authors' conclusion that the injury rate declined for higher falls. The study authors speculated that after falling five stories the cats reached terminal velocity and thereafter relaxed and spread their bodies to increase drag. One cat survived a fall of 46 stories and landed with no injuries at all. In a 1987 study, published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, of 132 cats that were brought into the New York Animal Medical Center after having fallen from buildings, it was found that the injuries per cat increased depending on the height fallen up to seven stories, but decreased above seven stories. However, this is not always the case, since cats can still break bones or die from extreme falls. With their righting reflex, cats often land uninjured. A 2003 study of feline high-rise syndrome found that cats 'orient limbs horizontally after achieving maximum velocity so that the impact is more evenly distributed throughout the body'. An average-sized cat with its limbs extended achieves a terminal velocity of about 60 mph (97 km/h), while an average-sized man reaches a terminal velocity of about 120 mph (190 km/h). While falling, a cat spreads out its body to increase drag. Their small size, light bone structure, and thick fur decrease their terminal velocity. In addition to the righting reflex, cats have other features that reduce damage from a fall.
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