Do Cats Really Always Land on Their Feet?

Have you ever called someone “a person who always lands on their feet”? That saying comes from the popular belief that cats always land on all fours. But is it really true?

Orly Zakkai, a cat behavior expert from BioPet, shared with Israel Hayom that this idea is more myth than fact. Cats don’t have a special skill but they just have a unique body structure that helps them land better. “Not every fall ends well,” she said. “That’s a myth.”

Back in 1987, a study in the U.S. looked at 132 cats who fell and needed vet care afterward. The results showed that many cats got hurt, and the higher the fall, the more serious the injuries even if they did land on their paws.

Zakkai explained that by the time kittens are about seven weeks old, they develop what’s called the “righting reflex.” Thanks to their super-flexible spine and the fact that they don’t have collarbones, cats can twist their bodies during a fall. First, they align their head, then they rotate their legs to face downward.

This flexibility helps them adjust their position and absorb the shock of the fall. Their light bones also help soften the landing. But even so, not every fall goes perfectly. “Sometimes a cat doesn’t fully rotate,” Zakkai said, “and even if it lands on its feet, it can still get hurt.”