will a cat survive a 30000 ft free-fall?
151117
When a cat falls, it knows that it is falling.  The cat can tell that there is obviously an acceleration towards the ground.  Because the cat can feel this acceleration, the cat (by instinct) arches its back and stiffens its legs in preparation for a landing.\n\nIn a vacuum, the cat accelerates at a constant rate, at an every increasing speed.  However, in the real world, air resistance plays a part limiting the max speed something can fall.  Eventually, the cat will be falling so fast that the air resistance is exerting a force upward that cancels out the cats weight (Net force = 0) and the cat stops accelerting.\n\nWhen the cat senses no more acceleration, the cat returns to its normal position and relaxed its back and legs thinking all it well.\n\nThen BAM!  The cat hits the pavement and is not prepared for the impact.\nIf the fall is sufficiently high for the cat to obtain its terminal velocity, the cat stands a much greater change in not surving the fall than if it had not obtained its terminal velocity.
546207
THE CAT IS STILL ALIVE BECAUSE CATS ALWAYS LAND ON THEIR FOUR FEET AFTER FALLING
1152217
Yes since it would reach it's terminal velocity after a few feet. &  DUE TO THE DRAG IT WOULD NOT ACHIEVE THE SPEED OTHERS are THINKING IT  would ACHIEVE.Given that air is present .
484879
The cat will land on its buttered feet.
493767
if it falls only 10 feet you have a good chance if a long way to fall your stuffed
720029
Run it right over every time...is what I want to do, but I find in such situations you always react in some way. If the cat runs out you will react, if its just sitting there on life 8, down and out and wanting it over, do it a favour and floor it.  Seriously, swerving and putting a moving object of tonnage into an uncontrolled skid is no option to splatting Felix.  Incidently in the UK you don't have to report to the police running a cat over, whereas you do if you run over a dog.
851544
If Cats always land on their feet, and Toast always lands buttered side down? What would happen if you tied some buttered Toast to a cats back & dropped them both??
130349
http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/cgi/content/full/290/1/334\nis an interesting article.
778355
You have to be able to open a window that you can climb out without using any other obstacles to climb on to. If you can reach the top window and be able to escape out of it without any problems you should be fine. The size of the drop doesn't matter cuz the way the fire inspectors see it is people would rather break a leg or arm than burn to death cuz they cant open the window
296304
Same as with cats. If you throw a cat to the ceiling he will land on his feet - and then again when it hits the floor.
1110379
You'd probably be killed by either one. A ton of anything falling on you would not be a good thing. However, if I absolutely had to choose one, I'd choose the feathers and hope that they were dropped from a great height. That way, maybe the air resistance would slow them down and scatter them enough that I wouldn't be hurt.
230156
Yes! It happened to our cat when I was a kid. She had a litter (none of which survived) and a week later she had a normal, healthy kitten who lived to a ripe old age.
1166414
A housecat, my cat has the life.
712545
TRUE STORY:  My cat knows all about traffic, always looks both ways.  One day he was across the street and saw a car coming from far away.  He moved to the curb and crouched down, his eyes on the car the whole time.  Just as it was approaching, he dashed across in front of it, causing it to nearly flip over trying to avoid him.  He jumped and pranced once across safely.\n\nHe clearly KNEW he was risking his life and decided to do it anyway for a cheap thrill.  This, I think, establishes higher reasoning (if a touch daffy) at work.  I don't think we're the only animals that understand mortality, just the only ones who dwell on it...
506947
A cat dropping out of the sky?
220161
It's 29,035 ft above sea level.
971251
Wrap in bubble wrap and put in a tube or a box thats how i did it.  it survived a 30 foot fall.