Cat Tails, Or Is That Cat Tales? The Story Of High-Rise Syndrome.

Cats are truly one of the hardiest creatures on the planet. That's probably why there are so many species of cats and have been for millions of years. When we studied species survival in evolutionary biology in college, the one characteristic of the best surviving species was it's ability to move fast! Good examples were horses, cockroaches, and cats. The fastest land animal is the cheetah, who haved been clocked running seventy miles per hour. Anyone who has ever seen a scared cat run up a tree will agree that cats really are fast!
The other thing cats are is agile. The theory is correct that cats can right themselves to land on their feet when they fall, if they have enough time. They use their body and their tail to twist "in their skin" to a feet down position. There is a traumatic disease in cats known as High Rise Syndrome and it came out of New York City as so many cats there fall from balconies. You may wonder why cats fall from balconies in the first place. It is because cats like a high vantage point perch, like a balcony, and also because their focus on prey is so intent that they become distracted. A bird or bug flying by can send a cat into mid-air. The results from high rise syndrome studies show an interesting capacity in a cat's ability for survival.
From one to five stories up, cats usually live through the fall and only get minor injuries. From six to ten stories up, cats get the most injuries, including broken bones, and trauma that results in death. From eleven stories up and higher, cats actually start doing better again and are more likely to survive the fall. The reason is they have time to maneuver themselves into a superman-like position to maximize wind resistance and to have their whole body take the impact, and not just their legs. Such a strategy gives the cat a real chance for a high fall survival.
A note about the cat tails, is that that body part seems to get injured frequently. It gets bitten as they try to run away from rivals. It gets caught in car motor fan belts, and it gets slammed in doors. During my veterinary career, cat tail amputations were common. It is easy to amputate and often times has to be because their is no way to save it. The tail gets crunched and degloved so easily, and once the skin or circulation is gone, there is no getting the dead tail to heal. For all the good a tail does a cat, them seem though, to do delightfully well without it. Cats truly are amazing!
Also, I would like to welcome my cousin Kristal Oz to the blogging world and encourage you to visit her web site called "The Wizard Of Paws By Kristal Oz" for "Pawsitive Helpful Hints" for your pets! http://www.wizardofpaws.blogspot.com/
Dr. Doug Ikeler http://www.drdougikeler.com/