By R.G. Elmore, D.V.M.
Copley News Service

Q. We have a cat who jumps from the corner of our second-story deck to the trees below us. We have never seen her miss the perch to which she was jumping; however, we are worried about what will happen if she falls.

Is it true that cats can fall from high places without hurting themselves? If so, is it because cats are anatomically different than other animals? We really like our cat and do not want her to hurt herself.

A. There are many stories about cats that have jumped or fallen from very high buildings and survived without any apparent injuries. In a retrospective study of 150 cats, which had fallen or jumped from the equivalent of five-story buildings or greater onto hard surfaces such as sidewalks or streets in New York, 90 percent survived. One of the longest falls reported was 32 stories, which was approximately 500 feet. A chipped tooth was the only obvious injury suffered by the cat in this fall.

There are several theories regarding why cats can survive long falls. Apparently the maximum speed attained by a falling cat through the air is about 60 miles per hour. Even though gravity is continuously pulling the cat downward as it falls, the air resistance of the cat's body keeps the maximum rate of the fall relatively low. As a comparison, most humans falling unrestricted through long distances reach maximum speeds of about 120 miles per hour. The differences in the rates of falls between cats and humans probably explains some of the differences in the severity of injuries.

Another theory is related to the ability of cats to spread their legs during long falls - this apparently increases the amount of air resistance. Usually cats bend their legs as they hit the ground, spreading the force of the landing throughout the entire body. Bending the legs allows the cat to bounce on impact, much like a person in a parachute does when he or she hits the ground.

Although cats apparently have some abilities to avoid serious injuries while falling long distances, as much as possible they should be protected from falling. Don't allow cats to roam freely on balconies or high room floors with open windows. Cats should never be intentionally dropped from high places to see what happens.

Q: Is it true that some horses cannot sweat? Although I have been around horses all of my life, I have never seen a horse that couldn't sweat.

What is the cause of the problem, if it actually occurs?

A. Anhidrosis, or the inability to sweat, is a fairly common problem in horses kept in very warm climates. Although it was once thought that only horses moved from temperate to hot climates were affected, it is now known that many horses born and reared in the South also suffer due to this abnormality.

Anhidrosis can be partial or complete. Most affected horses continue to sweat around the bases of their ears, under their manes, over their withers and between their front legs. Veterinarians diagnosis anhidrosis by conducting a simple, non-painful skin injection test. Anhidrotic horses must be handled with great care during the hot times of the year.
Send e-mail to copleysd@copleynews.com or write to Pets, Copley News Service, P.O. Box 120190, San Diego, CA 92112-0190. Only questions of general interest will be answered in this column.

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