Cats make it look so easy when they fall from some high shelf or a high object only to land gracefully on all four feet.

But some complicated feline effort goes into falling with style and grace.

With a highly-tuned sense of balance and a flexible backbone, A cat has around 52 vertebrae compared to an adult’s 32 vertebrae which in turn aids cats to upright themselves when they fall. 

A cat uses its sight and a balance system in the inner ear to determine up from down and then rotates its upper body to face downward with its lower body following suit. Most cats learn to master the skill by the time they’re 7 weeks old.

Cats with their petite-built and light bone structure and thick fur help decrease their terminal velocity, thus softening the impact. Some cats will also flatten their bodies to create more air resistance and make them descend slower.

Your cat can still be injured in a fall, even if they land on their feet. Shorter falls from one or two stories are riskier than higher falls because the cat may not have time to upright themselves.