Victorville, California - FACTS ABOUT CATS: We have nine lives, we feed on the breath of human children, our whiskers droop when rain is coming, and we always land on our feet. These basic facts are the unwritten laws of feline genetics and should be adhered to under all circumstances, according to Neferkitty, the unfortunate victim of a 5-story fall.
The sleek, thin tuxedo cat fell from his human’s 5th-story window in March of this year. Investigators ruled out foul play when they discovered that Neferkitty did not keep screens on his windows in order to prevent accidental falls. Additionally, the cat was allegedly alone at the time of his accident.
As a result of his fall, Neferkitty suffered symptoms of whiplash, bruises on his head and ribs, as well as a broken leg and fractured paw. He asserts that he is afflicted with a genetic defect that caused him to land on his side and one leg, instead of “all fours” as all cats should. He has filed a claim in a local court, suing his mother for compensation of medical bills as well as pain and suffering that he has endured as a result of his near-fatal accident. Under the terms of his lawsuit, he claims that his mother is responsible for the genetic flaws that caused him to be injured in a fall.
According to Rachel Kuhns of University of Alaska - Fairbanks, a cat should be able to survive a 5-story fall.
Terminal velocity, a rather chilling term, describes the velocity at which drag force from the air becomes equal to the force from the weight of an object, and thus the object no longer accelerates and velocity remains constant. The greater an objects cross-sectional area and the less its mass, the lower the terminal velocity and the sooner its reached. A cat reaches its terminal velocity of 60 mph within 5 stories of freefall. … Once a cat reaches its terminal velocity, it then begins to slow down. … When the cat reaches terminal velocity, it relaxes to resemble a spread eagle cat as oppossed to its earlier position with legs pulled tightly under its body, back arched, and head down. This increases its cross-sectional area and slows the cat down. Relaxing also causes the impact force to be spread out over more area when the cat lands.
Neferkity plans to call as witnesses a genetic specialist, a physicist, a veterinarian, and his brother Reeferkitty, who is always hungry. His mother, Cleocatra, has been unavailable for comment.
Related links:
Natural Acrobats: Cat’s Amazing Ability to Survive Falls - Rachel Kuhns, University of Alaska - Fairbanks