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A cat's jaw has only up and down motion; it does not have any lateral, side to side motion, like dogs and humans.

that's right. i noticed that in our cats. they tumble easily when distracted while jumping straight.

Some cats have survived falls of over 65 feet (20 meters), due largely to their “righting reflex.” The eyes and balance organs in the inner ear tell it where it is in space so the cat can land on its feet. Even cats without a tail have this ability.