Cat Survives 80-Foot Fall

[Markel]

Not to be outdone by a dog (http://forums.gotapex.com/showthread.php?t=97891), this cat took an 80 foot plunge (link (http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060322/D8GGBP702.html)):

Me-Ouch: Cat Survives 80-Foot Fall

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (AP) - Piper the cat may have used up a life or two but was unharmed after falling nearly 80 feet from a tree.

She had been in the tree for eight days when a rescuer started up to save her Monday. But a scared Piper crept away until the limb underneath her snapped.

She fell 80 feet, twisting and turning in the air before slamming onto the ground. It looked like a catastrophe, but Piper wasn't even dazed, scampering off before her owner Rodney Colvin could catch her.

Piper was found a few minutes later under a vehicle. Her owner said she had no broken bones and was only a little dehydrated.

[ShawnLee]

Cause Satan was helping it!

Haha, j/k. As much as I dislike cats, it's good that it lived and didn't get too hurt.

[LegendKiller]

Cool. My wife is always worried about a ledge we have in our condo that is ~12ft tall at it's highest point. Our smallest keeps going on it. But I never worry. Something about buttered toast and cats always landing on their feet...

[kgsilvas]

I saw the video of this on the news. She hit another branch on the way down, which slowed her just a bit. The kitty hit the ground on all fours and took off running! It was an amazing sight!

Since cats are GOOD, her guardian angel must have softened her landing. :angel:

[clutchy]

I saw that vid on the news... It was nuts. The cat is falling paws out tail swirling like a heli blade, and then it smacks another branch violently and flips a few more times before impacting the ground and tearing off.

i didn't think it landed on its feet but the people seem to think it did. I thought i saw it roll over and then bolt.

[ArkiStan]

I'm sure this doesn't really relate to this particular case, but it reminds me of an interesting article I read in high school. It said that cats that fall from very high altitudes are more likely to survive than those that fall from certain lower altitudes. The reason being that before reaching terminal velocity a living entity will feel "butterflies in their stomachs" due to the acceleration. In this case the cat will be thrown off and will be less likely to fall on all fours. From much higher altitudes the cat may reach terminal velocity before impact, allowing it to be fully alert and will have a higher chance of landing on its feet.

Believe it or not.

[clutchy]

i've heard that too.

[Dem0072]

I'm sure this doesn't really relate to this particular case, but it reminds me of an interesting article I read in high school. It said that cats that fall from very high altitudes are more likely to survive than those that fall from certain lower altitudes. The reason being that before reaching terminal velocity a living entity will feel "butterflies in their stomachs" due to the acceleration. In this case the cat will be thrown off and will be less likely to fall on all fours. From much higher altitudes the cat may reach terminal velocity before impact, allowing it to be fully alert and will have a higher chance of landing on its feet.

Believe it or not.

You would think at terminal velocity the cat couldn't stand it, however many can.

I'm not sure if they actually do reach it, as I doubt 100 feet or lower is enough height to reach terminal velocity, in my opinion it would require about 500 feet or so, at least to notice the difference if nothing else.

[ArkiStan]

Terminal Velocity

In a study from the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, two veterinarians examined 132 cases of cats that had fallen out of high-rise windows. On average, the cats fell 5.5 stories, but 90 percent survived, although many suffered severe injuries. The number of broken bones and injuries increased with the number of stories the cat had fallen – up to seven stories. Above seven stories, however, the number of injuries declined. In other words, the farther the cat fell, the better were his chances of escaping injury.

The reason for this may be that after falling five stories or so, cats reach a terminal velocity. The velocity or speed of a falling body does not increase forever because the rate of increase in speed is interrupted by air resistance. A skydiver reaches a terminal velocity of around 130 to 140 mph after about 30 seconds of free-falling. Cats reach terminal velocity much sooner at a speed of 60 mph.

It’s instinctive for both humans and animals to tense their muscles when free-falling, which makes them more susceptible to injury. When cats land before reaching top speed, they are rigid and flexed and prepared for the landing. This results in most of the force impacting the parts of the body that hit initially. However, after reaching terminal velocity, cats relax their muscles and spread themselves out like flying squirrels. This allows the impact of the fall to be spread across a larger surface area.
http://www.petplace.com/cats/why-cats-land-on-their-feet/page1.aspx

Once again, believe it or not.