Cats actually do themselves less harm when they fall from 10 stories upwards (sometimes up to 30 or 40) than they do from 3-8 (roughly), because their body shape greatly reduces terminal velocity.
If we ignore temperature and lack of oxygen then in theory a cat could survive a fall from an airplane because their terminal velocity would not increase past a certain height, but then some humans also have in the right conditions. What's less likely at that height is that it will be able to right itself at the precise moment of impact.
If we ignore temperature and lack of oxygen then in theory a cat could survive a fall from an airplane because their terminal velocity would not increase past a certain height, but then some humans also have in the right conditions. What's less likely at that height is that it will be able to right itself at the precise moment of impact.
If we ignore temperature and lack of oxygen then in theory a cat could survive a fall from an airplane because their terminal velocity would not increase past a certain height, but then some humans also have in the right conditions. What's less likely at that height is that it will be able to right itself at the precise moment of impact.
Because past a certain height they reach terminal velocity through their body shape (spread eagle) and the drag/resistance slows them down. Essentially over the shorter distance they are falling faster.
I know, but it becomes reduced. Maybe 'terminal velocity' is not the right phrase in this instance, but overall velocity. I (and others) only use that as an example of constant velocity over a large distance.