Do cats always land on their feet?

Cats almost always land on their feet because they have a special ability called the righting reflex.

When a cat falls, it twists its body in the air to turn itself around. Imagine you're falling off your bed and you twist your arms and legs to help you land on your hands, that’s kind of what cats do, but with their whole bodies!

Cats have something called whiskers and flexible bones, which help them sense where they are in the air and bend easily. This lets them change direction mid-air so they can land on their feet.

This ability comes from practice, kittens learn to twist in the air when they’re little, just like you learn to walk or ride a bike. Even if they fall from a tall place, most cats will still land on their feet because of this special skill.

Sometimes, though, they might not land perfectly, maybe they trip on the way down or it's too dark to see clearly. But mostly, cats are like super flexible acrobats who always know how to land!