Submitted by PaleSubstance2 t3_114epj9 in gifs
digitelle t1_j8xc4dc wrote
My landlord (or building caretaker I should say) lives in the unit above me and so both our units look out back to the parking area.
One hot summers evening he was working on his car with friend, I was on the couch reading with my window open and could hear them talking when one of them noticed a cat….. and then I could hear my landlords tone go from friendly to FREAKED OUT in seconds when he realized his cat had jumped out his window from his unit ABOVE mine (3rd floor, and we have tall ceilings so approx 25 - 30 ft fall).
The next day I saw he had put screens up.
He has lived there a long time and this was the only time that happened. Likely, the kitty heard his owner and wanted to see what was up and thankfully kitty had zero injuries, but still remember to protect your fur friends.
halfjapmarine t1_j8xpong wrote
Found that super interesting and looked up cats and their terminal velocity. There is a documented case of a cat surviving a 32 story fall. They hit their terminal velocity at around 7 stories. Seems that injuries are more likely to be sustained at lower heights to a point because they have less time to correct and distribute their impact.
Django117 t1_j8xxf6x wrote
Falls from 5-9 stories are pretty dangerous for cats and will likely require a visit to the vet due to broken limbs or serious injuries. Cats reach terminal velocity at 21m after which they continue to spread out like a flying squirrel and relax. A cat's terminal velocity is only 60mph compared to a human's nearly 120mph. A 1987 study from The Journal of the American Vetrinary Medical Association did some research into this. 132 cats falling an average of 5.5 stories led to a 90% survival rate, but many required medical attention. That same study says that of the 13 cats that fell from 9 stories or higher, only 1 broke a bone. Same study references the 32 story fall.
Now, part of this is that they have what is called a "righting reflex" which allows them to pivot their bodies so that they always land on their legs. They have no connection between their collarbone and forelimbs which means they have amazing shock absorption.
Their low terminal velocity, the reflex to right themselves, and skeletal anatomy makes them incredibly resilient to high falls. Shorter falls are actually more dangerous as they might land incorrectly or not have time to right themselves before impact.
gone_internal t1_j91egm6 wrote
Wish I could have been there when they dropped those 132 cats.
SCSimmons t1_j93udgc wrote
I've seen it suggested that the study in question suffered from literal survivorship bias. That is, the 13 cats that were brought in after 9 story falls were just the ones where the onlooker reactions were more like, "Quick, we have to get it to a veterinarian!", rather than, "Ewww. Um, does anyone have a shovel? There's a nice grassy bit right over there."
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