We have all heard that cats can fall a long ways and always land on their feet. This is partially true. Cats actually get hurt less when falling from greater heights than they do from say, one story.
It all has to do with a cats anatomy. As they fall they twist kind of in the middle to put their front feet facing toward the ground then bring their back legs around. Then they land with their legs bent to act as shock absorbers. The whole contortion looks like cat ballet when you see it in slow motion.
That said, please don’t encourage anyone to drop cats from heights. They still get hurt and can die if they sail from a high enough place or land on a hard surface.
Take the story of a cat that was named Amelia after her rescue. The name was chosen because she flew.
Amelia tumbled out of a truck while it was crossing over a bridge. Naturally the cat was shocked more than a little bit to land on the pavement and it disoriented her. So the next thing the poor cat knew was she was hit by a car!
At that point, Amelia decided to make a run for it and I can’t say that I blame her one bit. The only problem was that tumbling out in the middle of a bridge thing. When Amelia ran and jumped over the bridge rail, I imagine she expected to go down a few feet and land on the ground.
However, that wasn’t in the cards for Amelia, either. She fell, or flew if you will, for seventy feet.
From People Pets;
A driver following the truck that carried the cat watched in horror as the events unfolded. Shocked by the jump, the observer weaved through traffic, eventually finding her way under the bridge, where she searched for the cat that she assumed was dead.
Instead, the good Samaritan found the cat crouched under a van in a parking lot, and called the Humane Society of Cowlitz County for help.
Read the rest of Amelia’s story and see her picture here.
Thank the powers that be for kind and good people who care enough about animals to track down an injured cat and get her the help she needs. These unselfish rescuers deserve a medal for their caring help to an injured cat.
Now, let us just all hope Amelia can find an excellent forever home where she will be a pampered pet and that she won’t go flying again anytime soon.
