# Do cats understand gravity? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 24, 2016, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-understand-gravity/750001 "2016-03-24T01:28:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2016, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-understand-gravity/750001/41 "2016-03-26T20:13:15Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Cats are aware of Gravity, but they do not approve. Perhaps but I view our cats as gravity skeptics. They are constantly testing gravity to see if it still works. Typically by pushing items off counters and desks. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-understand-gravity/750001/42 "2016-03-27T08:17:02Z")
The last time I saw tigers, the announcer was explaining that they had to be careful, because the big male in particular was willing and able to climb high enough to hurt himself coming down. Tigers are much bigger, much heavier, much more volume/length compared to house cats ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-understand-gravity/750001/43 "2016-03-27T16:29:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Nice point, but unverifiable–“casual indifference” and “grim silent brief prayer to Cat Deity of future sacrifice if I can just make it through this jump” might look quite the same. There’s still the matter that they chose to jump off the roof rather than going back in via the open window via which they got out onto the roof in the first place, and which window they do in fact routinely go in when they feel like it. At most, they’re saving themselves the trouble of meowing at the door and waiting for an ambulatory pair of enslaved opposable thumbs to open it. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-understand-gravity/750001/44 "2016-03-28T15:55:16Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > … an ambulatory pair of enslaved opposable thumbs to open it. Just had this great image, worthy of Bosch (something like [https://my3place.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/js\_after\_bosch\_\_\_hell\_\_detail-3.jpg](https://my3place.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/js_after_bosch ___hell__ detail-3.jpg)). ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-understand-gravity/750001/45 "2016-03-28T16:14:53Z")
I recently have become aware of an extraordinary document, perhaps unique in all cat studies as a whole, and particularly to the OP: [Imgur: The magic of the Internet](http://m.imgur.com/DpIggh0) Indeed, when considered with the well known anecdotes of Newton and his cat Diamond the answer seems clear. Further inquiry continues among the OP analytical subcommittee here, beginning at post #14: [Physicists: What makes sense on this gigantic blackboard, and how much holds together topically? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=696794) ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2016, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-understand-gravity/750001/46 "2016-03-31T15:41:44Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Cats and most humans alike are completely ignorant of any of the mathematical description of gravity, so in that regard, we’re tied. > > On the other hand, most cats are much better than most humans at jumping and landing precisely where they want to, and so in that sense have a better understanding than we do. Yes, exactly. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-understand-gravity/750001/47 "2016-03-31T17:10:43Z")
> [@TheSundial](#): > > If you use a laser pointer to play with a cat they probably think it’s an insect or an animal and have no idea it’s a laser or what a laser is. Ours will turn and look at us expectantly when we turn the pointer off. They appear to realize that we are moving it about. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2016, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-understand-gravity/750001/48 "2016-03-31T18:16:13Z")
Our Friend, artist Robin Wood, is convinced that Cats understand gravity perfectly, and has written a book about it, **The Theory of Cat Gravity** : > [@](#): > > The Theory of Cat Gravity, which is my Pet Theory, all written out for your enjoyment, with decorations by Diana Harlan Stein, who has been nominated for the Hugo Award several times. (I asked her to do it, because when I made the book, drawing was physically difficult for me.) > > In it, I explain just what Cats are doing in those Window Ledges, and what that has to do with being immobilized by having a Cat on your Lap, and why things pile up under your bed and on your dining room table, and why it gets harder to move the older you get, and many other puzzling things. It’s all part of the same Unified Pet Theory. [http://www.robinwood.com/Catalog/Books/BookPages/CGBBook.html](http://www.robinwood.com/Catalog/Books/BookPages/CGBBook.html) > **[The Theory of Cat Gravity: Wood, Robin: 9780965298421: Amazon.com: Books](https://www.amazon.com/Theory-Cat-Gravity-Robin-Wood/dp/0965298426)** > > The Theory of Cat Gravity \[Wood, Robin\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. The Theory of Cat Gravity [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-understand-gravity/750001.md?page=2)