Righting reflex is observable in kittens as young as 3 weeks old and by 7 weeks, this skill is fully developed. A cat will land on his feet when it falls. His body reflexively corrects its course so that by the time it arrives on the ground, its feet are in a position to hit first.
Why does it happen?
According to the website, MNN, a vestibular apparatus in a cat’s inner ear acts as its balance and orientation compass so that it always knows which way is up. Once a falling feline has determined which part of its body should be facing up, it rotates its head to see where it’s going to land.
Next, the cat’s spine comes into play. Cats have a unique skeletal structure consisting of no collarbone and an unusually flexible backbone with 30 vertebrae (humans have 24). A feline’s backbone allows it to correct its position during freefall.
As its back arches, the cat positions its front feet under him with the front paws close to the face to protect it from the impact. When he lands, the leg joints bear the weight of the impact.
The height of a cat’s fall determines how well, or how poorly, his legs can absorb the shock of landing.
