Diane Reece, age l2, of No, Kansas City, Mo., for her question:

How does a cat manage to fall on its feet?

The bones of a cat are slender and easily broken. For this reason it is not kind to test her ability to land on her feet. so just take Andy's word for what happens. If a cat is dropped to fall on her back from just the height of a chair, she manages to twist around in mid air and land right side up on her paddy paws.

This trick is possible because of her strong, supple muscles and the trigger fast reactions of her nervous system. These features make her turn around as she falls without even planning to do so. she lands with a springy bounce because of her fragile bones are linked together with special joints. The ends of the bones are separated by wads of springy gristle. But  she may break one of her little bones as she falls and if the ground is rough she is surf to bruise her paws.