Cats Balance Sense

Cats are agile and sure-footed climbers with a highly developed sense of balance. Their claws enable them to obtain a good grip while climbing and the tail is used as a counterbalance. The organs of balance are the fluid-filled, semicircular canals within the inner ear, from which information is continually conveyed to the brain and interpreted. The processing of all information relating to spatial position, nature of the surface on which the cat is climbing, visual data, etc, is very rapid.

Electrical signals are sent to appropriate groups of muscles so that a cat is able to move rapidly and keep its balance even in difficult circumstances. Of course, as is well known, cats do sometimes get into difficulties and have to be rescued from high places, being too afraid to attempt a descent. A cat may also sometimes misjudge the distance of a jump, or lose its balance for some other reason, and fall. If a fall occurs, a series of 'righting reflexes' rapidly come into play so that a cat usually lands in an upright position on its paws. This helps to lessen the risk of injury but cannot prevent it altogether, especially if the cat falls from a height onto a hard surface. However, cats are popularly believed to possess 'nine lives' and are well known for their remarkable escapes from tricky situations. The characteristics described above are mainly responsible for the supposed nine lives of a cat.

Cats Care
Acquiring A Cat
Cat Diet
Cat Grooming
Adaptations of Cat
Cat's Behaviour
Cat's Language
Cat Breeding
Elderly Cat Care
Cat Parasites
Cat Illnesses
First Aid for Cats
Cat Training