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Dean

Kitty in free fall. Heheh. Cool.

(Requires QuickTime. Via Improbable Research.)

Posted by Dean | Permalink | Technorati Trackbacks

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King of Fools (mail) (www):

Ha. They always land feet down, but when their is no down, they just spin.

10.29.2004 3:00pm

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Aimee:

That is one UNHAPPY cat. :)

10.29.2004 3:14pm

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Kacie Landrum (mail) (www):

Space kitty! Cute!

10.29.2004 3:45pm

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Dean Esmay (www):

You know it looks like they're being creally cruel and mean to that kitty, like they're just throwing him (her) at the wall and such, but really in free fall they're just gently tossing him. It's pretty cool ain't it?

10.29.2004 4:10pm

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Beth Donovan (mail) (www):

kitty must have tummy of iron!

10.29.2004 5:57pm

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Aimee:

You can tell they really are being quite gentle. It's just funny because cats are usually Type A and need to be in control ... a cat that can't get a "grip" on his/her environment (and yes that was intentional) tends to get cranky really fast. It's just such a cool thing to see ... makes me wish I had the money (and the stomach) to do the Vomit Comet. Unfortunately I have neither.

10.29.2004 5:59pm

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BigDan (mail) (www):

That fur is gonna go right up in flames on reentry, I just know it.

10.29.2004 6:06pm

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the Mad Vandel (mail):

Poor kitty...

Did you notice the size of her tail ? She was one upset little kitten

10.29.2004 6:12pm

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Dani:

We all know what free fall is, and as such, think it's cool. But the cat doesn't. I know they're not hurting her, but I still think it's mean. Poor, freaked-out kitty. She's gonna hide under the bed for a week.

10.29.2004 6:16pm

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Dean Esmay (www):

Other alternative is that she takes it in stride: "Wow, that was weird. Hmm, is that some food over there? Prrrr...."

10.29.2004 6:33pm

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urthshu (mail) (www):

The PETA folks are gonna be all over you like a cheap fur coat, Dean.

10.29.2004 6:42pm

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Beth Donovan (mail) (www):

Fluffed up tails don't necessarily mean that a kitty is upset. We have a kitty who fluffs up her tail as she kneads my shoulder and purrs.

And you could tell at the end of the video that the women were soothing pretty kitty.

10.29.2004 7:54pm

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Casey Tompkins (mail) (www):

No, Dean, it is cruel. As Dani says, the poor thing doesn't know what free fall is.

Now. If they had taken the same cat up several times in a row to acclimate her, and then done some research, it would been different.

Research has already been done (in a humane way) on how cats orient themselves while falling. I doubt this will add very much, unless the observation that cats visually orient themselves in the direction they're "falling" is new. Or was I the only one who noticed that?

I'm surprised they didn't have to stitch up a couple of those people at the end... ;)

10.30.2004 12:10am

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B. Durbin (www):

If the cat's in free fall, the tail's going to be poofed regardless.

Poor kitty-cat...

10.30.2004 2:16pm

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Janelle :

Dean, I love your brain and I have found you addicting.

10.30.2004 11:28pm