It is a bit of a strange phenomenon that cats can fall from distances and actually land on their feet. But don't go throwing your cat out of a window just to witness this behavior because it's not true that all cats land on their feet all the time or that they always walk away unscathed.

In fact, more and more cats are experiencing what's been dubbed as ‘high rise syndrome', sustaining serious injuries from falls out of open windows, balconies and rooftops. Regardless of height, cats can and have been injured in falls, resulting in anything from bruised chins and fractured teeth, to ruptured diaphragms, fractured bones, torn livers and worse.

n general, cats have a better chance of surviving falls from shorter distances, less than one or two floors. The risks increase as the height increases. The main reason for this is that, though cats can usually right themselves at both heights, their feet and legs are able to cushion the impact at shorter heights.

More about cats jumping and landing on their feet.