So Much for Landing on Our Feet


land on your feet during tough times

Sometimes things just fall into place.

This cartoon came courtesy of my cat, Gillespie. She’s a full-figured feline who, like most of her species, likes to find as high a place as she can to rest and survey her domain.

One day, snoozing on top of a bookcase, her girth and gravity apparently teamed up on her, and she awkwardly slid off butt first. But, being a cat, she righted herself midair, landed on all fours and walked away smugly with an air of purpose.

All of which reminded me of the old “cats always land on their feet,” which, combined with the idiom “land on your feet,” led to this poor little kitty’s current situation.

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Mark Anderson, professional cartoonist

About the Author: Mark Anderson’s cartoons appear in publications including The Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review. Anderson is the creator of the popular cartoon website, Andertoons.com, where he licenses his cartoons for presentations, newsletters and other projects. He blogs at Andertoons cartoon blog.

9 Comments ▼

Mark Anderson Mark Anderson's cartoons appear in publications including Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review. His business cartoons are available for licensing at his website, Andertoons.com.

9 Reactions
  1. We have a cat called Morris that is good at landing on his feet. So, why does the cat sit on the ground with a bottle?! 😉

    For fun, check out the photos by Morris. He had a camera around his neck, taking pictures. Next step is to put a GPS tracking device so we could follow his foot steps… Click on the link “Martin Lindeskog” Says:

  2. Well, in these times I hope we all actually do land on our feet!

  3. “Full-figured feline,” indeed! Is that better than being a “fat cat”?

  4. @Martin, you are a funny guy. Now you just need to figure out how to steady that cat camera. Thanks Mark for a good cartoon. Maybe Martin’s cat had been drinking prior to the photo…

    @Anita — my five year old just finished reading Winnie the Pooh and in it he does his “Stoutness Exercises…” I’m not exactly a stout guy, but when i was late coming out of the house, he told my wife, “Daddy is inside doing his stoutness exercises.” Fat cat, indeed.

  5. TJ: Glad that you liked it! 🙂 I am not sure we could instruct Morris to walk in a certain way. It could have to do with the adjustment of the camera.

  6. Nice as usual, Mark! And yes, I agree with Anita that in these times- we should land hopefully on our feet.

  7. OUTSTANDING!

    There is a lot of pressure on cats to always land on their feet. It seems to have gotten to this kitty. 🙂

  8. What’s even sadder is he used to be the “Hang in there!” poster cat!

  9. That poor little kitty looks like he’s given up. I love the expression on his face and the little bottle next to him. I can only imagine what he’s drinking…maybe a little catnip cocktail to drown his sorrows. 🙂