Cats are a near-universal symbol of grace and poise – they have excellent balance and are said to always land on their feet. Even when they're up in the air, like these 15 jumping cats at play, they retain a graceful athleticism that most of us lack – on or off the ground.

The cat's ability to always land on its feet, which is on display in many of these pictures, is called the righting reflex. A study in 1987 that analyzed 132 cases of cats that had fallen from high-rise windows in New York discovered that their injuries would increase from floors 1-7 but would then dramatically decrease above 7 stories. One explanation could be that, after a certain distance, cats reach their non-fatal terminal velocities and are capable of spreading themselves out and gliding to reduce the severity of their injuries.

NOTE: Cats love to jump when they play, but NEVER throw them just for a photo op!