real life puzzle: the cat's tale

[Dragon Phoenix]

Studies show that if a cat falls off the seventh floor of a building it has about thirty percent less chance of surviving than a cat that falls off the twentieth floor. Why?

[Sofis]

It has more time to turn its feet towards the ground so it can land properly?

[Agamemnon]

A parachute has more chance of opening to its full extent from a higher altitude than a lower one. Plus it would take the cat several floors before it got it's paws around the rip cord.

[Logain]

While I heard that this is actually not true in most cases, I heard that there are some instances where cats have instinctively spread themselves out (fully stretched) when falling from farther heights and it gives them a parachuting effect. Thereby decreasing their decent rate.

[Agamemnon]

It seems that truth springs from the words of jokers.
The paragraph below was found on this site about the history of ballooning.....

quote:

---

Soon the balloons lost their news value, and in order to
attract a paying audience, the bold pilots had to look for some
"added value" to their ascents. Parachute jumps were
introduced, ascents on horse-back, trapeze acts, and fire-works
from the balloon basket. The pilots had turned themselves into a
new sort of touring circus artists in a commercially hard and
physically dangerous competition to give the crowds sensations.
As early as in 1784 cats and dogs were released in small
parachutes, and in 1797, on October 22, Jacques Garnerin
(1769-1823) dared to a parachute jump himself. It went well. As
the aviation related work by Leonardo da Vinci was not
published until 1874, Garnerin had no idea about the the
parachute designed by Leonardo around 1485. For what
purpose did he meant it? We do not know.

---

[ralphmerridew]

My HS physics book had this; let me see if I can remember...


How about on a sufficiently long fall, the cat will reach terminal velocity with time to spare. Once it reaches TV, it relaxes and stretches out, which will slow it down to a safe speed.

[Icarus]

I'm just curious about how the study was performed. What did they do, actually throw cats off the roof ?

I also remember seeing something, I think it was on the Discovery Channel, about how cats can correct their position while in air but only if from a high enough height. Although, 7 stories would seem high enough to me.

The parachute effect seems to make sense here. Sort of the same concept behind the flying squirrel, or more approriately, the gliding squirrel.

[Laramie]

I've heard of the study. There is a survivorship bias in that we only get data on the cases reported (to vets in this case, I think). If a cat falls twenty stories, it is less likely to be taken to the vet. This gives the appearance that a larger percentage of cats survive from higher falls.

[Quailman]

Someone has to post this:

The Straight Dope about cats

[Logain]

Just in case you haven't seen this one before.
Cat Video

[Dragon Phoenix]

Yes, the straight dope reference gves the right answer.