September 28, 2006—It might sound like a form of urban anxiety, but high-rise syndrome is actually a serious problem for cats in the city. Adventurous felines don't always look before they leap, and many wind up in emergency care after they go careening through unscreened windows.

But a mystery unfolded when doctors treating these "high-rise kitties" noticed a pattern: Cats that fell from great heights were less injured than those that took a modest dive.

See slow-motion cameras reveal how a falling cat manages to land on its feet, and find out why—for these furry acrobats—the higher they are, the better they fall.