Movement and balance

The Cat in full motion

Whilst they are not indestructible, cats do have an enviable ability to balance in the most precarious circumstances, and to twist and right themselves to land safely if they fall. Nervous control, the workings of the inner ear and the useful counter-balance provided by the tail are responsible for this feline skill.

The central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord, The brain processes information relayed to it from the main sense organs - the eyes, ears and nose - and the peripheral nervous system. In turn it influences all the body's systems and the animal’s behavior via these peripheral nerves and hormones, which are secreted by glands, such as the thyroid and adrenals, and organs, including the female’s ovaries and the male’s testicles.

The autonomic nervous system is an involuntary system that controls unconscious actions, such as blood circulation, breathing and digestion. Consisting of two parts, the sympathetic system, which is responsible for arousal, and the parasympathetic, involved in relaxation and return to normal (homeostasis), it is important in the 'flight or fight’ reactions that help keep cats out of trouble whenever possible.

The righting reflex - The vestibular apparatus in the inner ear consists of fluid-filled canals lined with sensitive hairs, which detect fluid movements when the head changes position. This combined with visual  information is relayed rapidly to the area of the brain involved with posture, the cerebellum. As a result, when falling a can twist his head into a normal position relative to the ground and his body will  spontaneously move to correct itself.

Cat Fact 

'High rise syndrome’ is a phenomenon where cats can sometimes survive falls relatively unscathed so long as they have time to right themselves, and don’t tense up so rigidly that their legs absorb the full impact when they hit the ground. However, sadly, many cats are badly injured in falls from windows and balconies.