# cat falls 19 stories and walks away



## CJinCA (Dec 5, 2011)

U.S. News - Cat plunges 19 stories from high-rise, and walks away


----------



## jusjim (Jun 30, 2009)

Lucky, lucky cat. she's probably spayed, otherwise she would have had a great tale to tell her kiittens.

I was looking after a cat, one time, and as I let it iout of the back door, some birds landed. It was unfortunate timing for one bird because the cat moved like lightning and spread like a blanket to drop down over one bird, which didn't stand a chance. That's when I learned what all the extra fur and skin was used for.

It's quite understandable that this ability could easily be used for safety purposes when needed.


----------



## razzle (May 20, 2010)

That's one lucky cat. I'm not so sure about the fur thing though.

Kathy


----------



## BotanyBlack (Apr 6, 2011)

lol Read this earlier and thought "so that's what those pantaloons are for"


----------



## GhostTown (Jan 12, 2012)

I want to choke the owner out.


----------



## BotanyBlack (Apr 6, 2011)

GhostTown said:


> I want to choke the owner out.


I can see that but the one I read about this cat says that building maintenance were putting in stronger screens since this happened, so it may be that the screens were weaker then she thought.


----------



## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

GhostTown said:


> I want to choke the owner out.


Harsh. Just because they weren't thinking of that possibility doesn't mean they loved their cat any less, or were hoping it'd one day fall to its death - they were clearly thinking of helping the cat by keeping the house cool.

It's a terrible tragic thing when a cat falls from a window, but it's not done intentionally. My mother's cat fell to her death in the middle of the night, my mother heard her fall and rushed outside. She was so upset she couldn't even think straight, people were talking to her and she doesn't even remember what she told them as she collected her cat off the ground. She really loved her cat and made a mistake that she'll never get to take back.

Anyway, that was one extremely lucky cat. I think it's used all it's 9 lives right there!


----------



## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Well, it was technically the owner's fault



> Sugar's owner, Brittney Kirk, a 32-year-old registered nurse, said at first she didn't think her cat had made it. She had left the window open due to the warm weather because she didn't want Sugar to be in a hot apartment.


*But* I think lots of people think their cats simply know better than to jump out a window with such a long drop. 

I looked out the window one day only to see my twinz sitting on the front porch, watching the neighborhood activities. :shock: Found the screen to their window hanging loose. So I think one fell out and the other one jumped out after her. Accidents happen.


----------



## cooncatbob (May 27, 2011)

I've read that cat cat survive very high falls (3+ stories) better then falls from a lesser height.
Seems with the higher fall allows the cat to get turn in the proper position and set it's body to absorb the shock of the landing.


----------



## GhostTown (Jan 12, 2012)

I haven't changed my mind. I don't care what anyone says. The person responsible for that cat is to blame. Period.


----------



## Lenkolas (Jan 18, 2011)

marie73 said:


> *But* I think lots of people think their cats simply know better than to jump out a window with such a long drop.


This is so true. Many people think cats are "so smart" they are almost immortal. "They know how to take care of themselves" and next thing their cats get hit by a car or do the window jump or something like that.

Poor kitty, she has heterochromia just like Ice. She must be deaf on the blue eye side only, tho, not completely deaf.


----------



## amelia100 (Mar 12, 2011)

ghosttown, you make me worry. I live on just a first floor apartment. My cats sit on the window sill outside the window all the time. They've even climbed DOWN the building to ground floor from that height. I do often wonder if it's dangerous if they were to accidentally fall however. Am I being stupid in letting them sit on the sill even though they want to? The drop is about 7 metres only but there are hard surfaces etc...


----------



## cooncatbob (May 27, 2011)

amelia100 said:


> ghosttown, you make me worry. I live on just a first floor apartment. My cats sit on the window sill outside the window all the time. They've even climbed DOWN the building to ground floor from that height. I do often wonder if it's dangerous if they were to accidentally fall however. Am I being stupid in letting them sit on the sill even though they want to? The drop is about 7 metres only but there are hard surfaces etc...



Here's a study on falling cats.
High-rise syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


----------



## Abbie (Jan 13, 2011)

amelia100 said:


> ghosttown, you make me worry. I live on just a first floor apartment. My cats sit on the window sill outside the window all the time. They've even climbed DOWN the building to ground floor from that height. I do often wonder if it's dangerous if they were to accidentally fall however. Am I being stupid in letting them sit on the sill even though they want to? The drop is about 7 metres only but there are hard surfaces etc...


My parents had a cat who would always jump out of their first floor (upstairs in a townhouse) window. I was always so worried- but he casually stolled off. I've seen many a cat jump (note it's jump, not fall) from a first floor window and be fine. I'm not condoning it- but cat's do such things!

We live in a second floor apartment now- I never open the windows as I can imagine what these two would be like!


----------



## Korat (Jun 2, 2011)

amelia100 said:


> ghosttown, you make me worry. I live on just a first floor apartment. My cats sit on the window sill outside the window all the time. They've even climbed DOWN the building to ground floor from that height. I do often wonder if it's dangerous if they were to accidentally fall however. Am I being stupid in letting them sit on the sill even though they want to? The drop is about 7 metres only but there are hard surfaces etc...


I knew a cat survived being blown off a 4th story balcony ... the owner admitted the cat did go out through the window and onto the balcony all the time (it was 10 or so and had always done) ... but on that particular day, the cat was outside... and had climbed up there to be let in (adjoining low roofed buildings and walls) Probably _because_ of the weather!! 

I once took a call also, from a lady living in an appartment, who found a stray cat... on her balcony, can't remember how high it was, but reasonable height... and said she couldn't see/think of any possible way that it could have got out there .... I immediately assumed it must have fallen from a higher floor ... (we get balcony injuries quite a lot) ... only to be told, there was no other floor.... 8O

That stray was brought in, and we never found an owner.


----------



## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

One of my free cat trees was from someone whose cat fell from the second floor balcony and died. It depends on _how_ they fall, what they land on, etc.


----------



## GhostTown (Jan 12, 2012)

I would understand the danger that my cat might be in, under any situation. If harm came to my cat because of a decision that I had made, then I would be to blame.

Not complicated.

Weak screens? I would know that before I left the window open/unattended/whatever. Oscar has torn through two or three screens in his day. When he did, he dropped approximately 24 inches. NOT 19 STORIES. I have life time warranty screens on my windows right now. Very strong. I DO NOT leave him unattended with an open window, and that isn't because of him falling 19 friggin' stories. It's because I don't want him to get outside and _possibly_ run into the street in front of a car. There is not a _possible_ danger about dropping 200+ FEET!!!!! That cat should have died. If it would have, we wouldn't have read the story. Let's be honest.

If I lived 19 stories up, something like open air would be a very big concern of mine. Meaning, the danger would always be on my mind when there is a possibility of something going through a screen. Especially a CAT.

Inexcusable. The owner is to blame. I would like to choke her out due to the aggravation that story caused me.

The End.


----------



## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

GhostTown said:


> Inexcusable. The owner is to blame. I would like to choke her out due to the aggravation that story caused me.
> 
> The End.


Caused *you*? 

I guess I should just drop my twinz off at the shelter because I didn't double-check a window I had no reason to believe was faulty after living the house for a year.

Wow, way to be compassionate. Tell me again, why did that job at the Suicide Hotline not work out??


----------



## jusjim (Jun 30, 2009)

When I brought Zenobi (otb) home I let her out on the first floor balcony and she disappeard. When I looked over the edge she was down below, unhurt. Perhaps a bit confused.

What had happened was that she was trying to cacth a bird by squeezing through the railings as noticed by me the next time I let her out. Chicken wire went up.

It's possible that a cat sitting in a window might automatically jump for a flying creature. She used to love getting up on the window ledge in the bedroom. I made sure that the window was never open enough for her to get though because down below was hard concrete.


----------



## kty78 (Mar 18, 2012)

I have already thought about the fact that I can't leave the windows open because this house is old and has the original wooden windows with no screens. But if I did have screens I would test their sturdiness before leaving them open with a cat around. But even then there is always a chance of a sceen getting pushed out over time. Most of our windows are painted shut anyway. Just this week the landlord sent someone out to measure for new windows. I can't wait!


----------



## GhostTown (Jan 12, 2012)

marie73 said:


> Caused *you*?
> 
> I guess I should just drop my twinz off at the shelter because I didn't double-check a window I had no reason to believe was faulty after living the house for a year.
> 
> Wow, way to be compassionate. Tell me again, why did that job at the Suicide Hotline not work out??


You're story is not aggravating. You don't live 19 STORIES above the ground.

Irresponsible people aggravate me all the time. People who drive drunk, leave their cats in dangerous situations, let their kids SCREAM while in a restaurant, etc. etc. etc.

Suicidal is a little different problem than aggravation. Wouldn't you agree?


----------



## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

I live on the 3rd floor. Robin hangs out on the sill all the time-I haven't really inspected the screens. But if they survived a 17 1/2 lb orange cat...


----------



## GhostTown (Jan 12, 2012)

Meh... maybe I just worry about it because Oscar has been determined enough to tear through screens before.


----------



## love42013 (Mar 20, 2012)

Wow that is just amazing. I am so glad that poor kitty was hurt to badly.


----------



## jusjim (Jun 30, 2009)

Here's another article with information on cat falls.

BBC News - Who, What, Why: How do cats survive falls from great heights?


----------



## tanyuh (Jun 7, 2003)

GhostTown said:


> I would understand the danger that my cat might be in, under any situation. If harm came to my cat because of a decision that I had made, then I would be to blame.
> 
> Not complicated.
> 
> ...


I feel as bitter as you do when reading stories like this. If it were a child and not a cat, people would be up in arms... but if it's a cat? Not so much. It's the hyprocrisy that drives me crazy and the arrogance that humans are somehow more valuable than animals. WE ARE ALL ANIMALS and every innocent creature deserves to be cared for by the person responsible for it. And if said person fails at their responsibility, they should be treated similarly as if whatever happened happened to a baby; they are equally unable to communicate with us and deserve our protection since we're capable of it and they're not, especially in our increasingly urbanized world while we steal habitat from the animals and put them in danger with our lavish lifestyles of arrogance.

I have compassion for the person that made the mistake, just like I would for a person whose child died due to a mistake of theirs, but ultimately that person is responsible and the fact that they were negligent also makes my blood boil.


----------



## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Okay, comparing a cat getting hurt to a child getting hurt is ridiculous.

This thread was supposed to be about an amazing survival story.


----------

