They land on their feet because they have quick reflexes, a very flexible spine and are so agile that MOST of the time they have time to reposition themselves before they hit the ground. However, cats can still hurt themselves even if they land on their feet and they don't always land on their feet - So be careful and respectful.

The answer to this question has its roots in the metaphysical science of Butterology. Butterology states that a cat, when dropped, will always land on its feet. It also states that a piece of buttered toast, when dropped, will always land butter side down. Extrapolating from this, Butterologists have designed a theoretical anti-gravity machine that consists of a piece of buttered toast strapped to the back of a cat. One then drops the cat/toast machine, and since neither side of the machine will hit the floor, the whole contraption will remain a few feet off the floor, spinning crazily. My understanding, is that this theory has never been effectively tested, as Butterologists have yet to determine how to strap the toast to the cat, without the cat licking all of the butter off of the toast. Imagine the energy source that would become available to us if we were able to prove this theory!

They don't always land on their feet. Perhaps it is dependant upon the height from which they are dropped. - Maybe this is one for "Myth Busters".....(Oh, relax ... I'm only kidding). On the news the other day a cat had been in a tree for something like 8 days. Which may have been a factor in this case - 8 days without food and water would throw off anyone's equilibrium. Why someone knew the cat was in the tree and took no action for that long - I don't understand. However, the cat fell from a great distance - did not land on its feet...promptly jumped up and ran off. The cat and its family were on the news - it was miracle - the cat was unhurt.

You know, I was pondering a similar thought today. My cat hardly ever lands on his feet. He falls off the sofa and lands sort of on his side. He's not ill but nor is he the brightest of cats. Whilst this doesn't answer your question, it does sort of dispel the notion that cats always land on their feet, because they don't!

With all due respect to Petit Gateau, he was right except he left out one major point. The tail of most animals helps them balance, acting like a rudder on a boat to help them steer. when cats fall,there tail balances them by acting like the rudder previously mentioned. Also, newborns dont have this ability because there still figuring the world out, so to speak. Getting their "land legs" you could say.

Myth: Cats always land on their feet. Fact: While cats instinctively fall feet first and may survive falls from high places, they also may receive broken bones in the process. Some kind of screening on balconies and windows can help protect pets from disastrous falls http://www.cfainc.org/articles/myths-facts.html

First of all, cats do not always land on their feet, as anyone who has been around mine for any length of time can attest. However, they do land on their feet a larger percentage of the time than, say, humans would. Why? They have extremely flexible spines, and very good control over their muscles. http://www.petplace.com/cats/why-cats-land-on-their-feet/page1.aspx "Cats have exceptional coordination and balance and a flexible musculoskeletal system. They are normally able to orient their bodies in space in such a way as to land on all four limbs. This is what happens when a cat falls: The cat determines which way is up and rotates the head until it is right side up. He brings the front legs up close to the face, ready to protect it from impact. He twists the upper part of the spine to bring the front half of his body around in line with the head. He bends his hind legs so that all four limbs are ready for touchdown and, as this happens, he twists the rear half of his body to catch up with the front."

Cats tend to land on their feet because they instinctively right themselves while falling. First, a cat gets his head oriented properly to the ground. His tail windmills to help with balance. His front paws and shoulders turn to fall in line with his head. His hindquarters twist so that he is fully upright. Cats have loose skin and this acts something like a parachute to help slow his descent. Finally, when he hits the ground, his knees bend to help absorb the shock. The most common injury survivors have from a fall is a broken jaw because, when the knees bend, the chin often hits the ground. Cats are most likely to survive falls from the third, fourth, or fifth floors because it gives them enough time to get turned around but isn't too much force when they hit the ground.

most of a cats weight is in its feet,so obviously when thrown into the air the heavier parts ie.the feet,will always hit the ground first

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. While most cats have not actually read Sir Isaac Newton's laws, they instinctively (as has been described) know how to right their body in space. The strangest thing is that a cat is most likely to die in a fall from a 3rd or 4th storey window. Higher and they can reach terminal velocity before hitting the ground, and lower than this they won't break their legs on caontact with the ground. Spooky!

A cat has an extremely sensitive equilibrium, which gives them their incredible balance. Flip them upside down, and they feel the need to correct this immediately. Therefore, they use their lightning fast reflexes to flip over and correct the equilibrium.

Cats don't *always* land on their feet. It is actually more dangerous for them to fall short distances. If you watch a cat falling from a higher distances in slow motion, it immediately rights its head to face the direction it is falling. It follows that by twisting at its midsection to align its front feet with its head. Then it rights the back half of its body. When a cat falls from a shorter distance, it does not always have enough time to get itself turned around this way. This is likely an atavistic trait developed from when cats spent more time in trees.

cause they dont want to land on their head!,if you fell of a 2 story building,which body part would you want to land on?

no, they don't.

Not always. I've seen some attempts by my cats to jump up on things end up in a faceplant or an undignified rump landing. That said, cats have a method for landing on their feet if they have enough time before impact. They can get themselves turned around in mid-air and then spread out like a flying squirrel to slow their descent. Cats tend to survive their injuries if they fall from a height of at least seven stories and the furthest a cat is known to have fallen and lived was 46 stories! There are two reasons cats can survive such high falls. The first is that they are able to land on their feet. To do this, a cat must first get his head oriented properly. His tail whips around to provide balance and stability. His shoulders turn after the head and his spine twists to rotate the hips into place (click on the image to see this). When a cat falls, he feels himself picking up speed and bunches up in terror. This makes him MORE aerodynamic and he will fall faster until he reaches terminal velocity (the fastest he can go with gravity as the only acceleration against drag). Once he no longer feels himself accelerating, he will relax and spread his legs out. His loose skin acts a bit like a parachute to increase drag and reduce his terminal velocity to something that he is likely to survive. When he finally does reach the ground, he bends his knees to help absorb the impact. The most common injury for cats that managed to get themselves turned around is a broken jaw. This happens because bending their knees often causes their chin to hit the ground. Sources: http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_190.html http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=69163 Image Source: http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/Images/ae411a.jpg

They don't, however they are extremely agile and most often do.

They don't. Although they have a very keen sense of balance, cats can and do get injured from falls and often land on other parts of their anatomy.

It's a special talent god gave them. If they are falling from a high area they flip over on their backs twice (In the air) and land on their feet. If it is a low area they turn their backs once when they fall I saw it on TV. And yes, I know you can't beleive everything you see on TV

You spelled always wrong.