Researchers Uncover Secrets of How Cats Land on Their Feet

New study provides insights into the flexible feline spine that allows cats to right themselves in midair.

Published on Mar. 11, 2026

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Researchers have made new discoveries about the anatomy and movements of cats that help explain how they are able to land on their feet when falling. By studying cat spines and conducting experiments, the researchers found that cats have an extremely flexible upper thoracic spine that allows them to quickly twist their upper body to face the ground, enabling them to then correctly orient the rest of their body. The study provides evidence supporting the "legs in, legs out" model of how cats fall, while also revealing a right-side bias in the cats' self-righting behavior.

Why it matters

The "falling cat problem" has long fascinated scientists, as the ability of cats to land on their feet during a fall seems to defy physics. This new research provides important insights into the underlying anatomical and physiological mechanisms that enable this remarkable feline skill, which has implications for understanding animal movement and potentially even informing the design of robotic systems.

The details

The researchers studied the spines of cat cadavers and also conducted experiments dropping live cats from a height of about 3 feet onto a soft cushion. They found that the upper thoracic vertebrae of the cat spine are extremely flexible, able to twist up to 360 degrees, while the lower lumbar vertebrae are stiffer. This matches video evidence showing cats first twisting their front legs and upper body to face the ground, before correctly orienting the rest of their body. The results support the "legs in, legs out" model of how cats fall, where they extend their hind limbs before retracting them. The researchers also discovered a right-side bias, with the cats in the experiments consistently turning to the right to correct their orientation.

  • In 1894, the French physiologist Étienne-Jules Marey used early video technology to demonstrate that cats can right themselves in the air when falling.
  • The new study was published last month in the journal The Anatomical Record.

The players

Étienne-Jules Marey

A French physiologist who in 1894 used early video technology to definitively show that cats can right themselves in the air when falling.

Yasuo Higurashi

A physiologist at Yamaguchi University in Japan and the lead author of the new study on cat falling behavior.

Greg Gbur

A physicist and cat-falling expert at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte who was not involved with the new study.

Ruslan Belyaev

A zoologist at the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution in Moscow who was not involved in the new study.

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What they’re saying

“Physicists have tried to model the behavior in relatively simple equations, but the real cat is anything but simple.”

— Ruslan Belyaev, zoologist (nytimes.com)

“The thoracic spine of the cat can rotate like our neck.”

— Yasuo Higurashi, physiologist (nytimes.com)

“A lot of scientists, historically, have looked for the 'one true way' that cats land on their feet. But nature is unconcerned with simplicity.”

— Greg Gbur, physicist and cat-falling expert (nytimes.com)

What’s next

The researchers plan to collect more data on falling cats to construct updated mathematical and 3-D models that could further unravel the mysteries of this feline phenomenon.

The takeaway

This new research provides important insights into the remarkable physical abilities of cats, revealing the key role of their flexible spines in enabling them to right themselves in the air during a fall. The findings challenge simplistic models of cat falling behavior and underscore the complex, nuanced ways that nature solves problems.