 Most breeds of cat have a noted fondness for settling in high places , or perching . In the wild , a higher place may serve as a concealed site from which to hunt ; domestic cats may strike prey by pouncing from a perch such as a tree branch , as does a leopard . Another possible explanation is that height gives the cat a better observation point , allowing it to survey its territory . During a fall from a high place , a cat can reflexively twist its body and right itself using its acute sense of balance and flexibility . This is known as the cat righting reflex . An individual cat always rights itself in the same way , provided it has the time to do so , during a fall . The height required for this to occur is around 90 cm ( 3 @.@ 0 ft ) . Cats without a tail ( e.g. Manx cats ) also have this ability , since a cat mostly moves its hind legs and relies on conservation of angular momentum to set up for landing , and the tail is little used for this feat . 
