Cats have a superb vestibular system and make gyroscopic turns, while falling, so that all the four feet quickly point downwards, regardless of their orientation at the start of the fall. This enables them to dissipate the impact force, of the fall, through all the four limbs and have a higher survival rate compared to other animals like dogs. This lends credence to the old adage that cats have nine lives. Cat-specific advantages are believed to have evolved through natural selection, according to Prof. D. Balasubramaniam, Director Centre for Cellular and Molecule Biology, Hyderabad.
A cat falling from great heights (say100 ft) extends its limbs, reflexly, more horizontally in a flying-squirrel fashion. This reduces the velocity of the fall besides absorbing the impact over a greater area of its body, say scientists. Also, when falling, the animal does so with its limbs flexed so that much of the impact is dissipated through its soft tissues. This is the same reason why parachutists are trained to dissipate impact forces by lending with knees and hips flexed, than rolling, (J.M. Diamond, Nature, April 14, 1988).