Top veterinarians, best-selling pet-care authors and other top pet-care experts are all part of the Pet Connection team. If you would like the newest, freshest weekly syndicated Pet Connection articles from the Universal Press Syndicate for your newspaper, publication or Web site, find out more here.
Yes, cats can be hurt falling from windows
published 05/04/2009 | View all articles from this day
Cats are equipped with the amazing ability to right themselves in midair if they fall while hunting, rotating their bodies from the head back like a coil to align themselves for a perfect four-paw landing.
But what works for a supple small animal falling from a tree branch doesn’t cut it in the modern world, where a cat’s more likely to fall from a window than a tree. Cats can be badly hurt or even killed falling from the window of a two-story home, or from the balcony of a third-story apartment.
Many cat lovers assume their pets would be smart enough to be careful when up high enough for injuries, but it’s just not in an animal’s ability to make that kind of judgment call. Cats are comfortable in high places, and they cannot understand the difference in risk between a one-story fall and a six-story fall. Protect them with secure screens and closed windows.
All information copyright 2009 by Dr. Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori.
This information is provided for the personal use of Pet Connection readers
and may not be reproduced in any way or in any media without expressed,
written permission of Dr. Marty Becker, Gina Spadafori, Honest Dog L.L.C.
and the Universal Press Syndicate.
Contact us
for information on using any material
from this Web site. All advice offered is general, and the Pet Connection is
not responsible for any problems arising from the use or misuse of the
information. Since each animal and each situation is unique, we recommend
that you contact your own veterinarian for help with any health or behavior
problems in your pet.
Terms & Conditions