Let's add a twist
As previously mentioned, part of a cat's
successful fall relies on their supple, flexible
spine, because it means that cats are not rigid
bodies but instead twisty,
corkscrews. Additionally, cats have a
caudal appendage to help them in their
maneuvering.
Kitty tails are just one more key to
aiding cats in their extensive acrobatics.
It's a bit difficult to make out, but the images
below are stills of a cat falling and spinning
using it's tails gyroscopic motion to aid the
twist. The cat is spinning clockwise while
it's tail swings counter clockwise. This
is effective because the rotational movement of
the tail has to be balanced by another rotation
in order to conserve rotational momentum.
Sneaky physics cats!
