Research overview: the vestibular system and semicircular canals in cats

Balance and spatial orientation in cats depend on the vestibular system of the inner ear, including the semicircular canals that sense rotation. This overview surveys the structure and function of the feline vestibular apparatus, in which fluid-filled canals detect angular acceleration of the head and otolith organs detect linear acceleration and gravity. Together they inform the brain of the head's movement and position, essential for balance, gaze stabilization, and the righting reflex. The survey relates the vestibular system to the cat's agility and to behaviors that depend on precise orientation sensing. It discusses how vestibular signals are integrated with vision and proprioception. Understanding the vestibular system and semicircular canals grounds feline balance in the inner-ear sensors that make it possible. It frames the cat's celebrated agility as resting on a sophisticated organ for sensing motion and gravity, the foundation for coordinated movement and the ability to recover orientation during a fall.