The cat falls before you can react: And then it has 9 lives, one fall and it’s over.

They say cats have nine lives. In the case of my cat this may be true, because after falling from the balcony from the seventh floor a few years ago we found him waiting for three days in front of the entrance to the apartment building. But it was rather fortunate that he was unharmed at the time. My friend’s cat fell out of her fourth floor window, but she was unable to save him. What’s the story? How dangerous are falls really for cats?

When we brought Bear to the vet, limping on one paw, the vet was surprised that nothing serious had happened to him after the fall. He explained to us that the seventh floor is one of the most dangerous heights for cats. However, if he had fallen from a higher floor, the fall would supposedly have been safer.

The dangers of the seventh floor

Cats have unique physiological abilities:

• during a fall, they rotate their bodies rapidly to turn so that they land on their paws,
• they have a low weight relative to their body surface area, which increases air resistance during a fall,
• when they fall, they extend their paws and body into a shape that acts a bit like a parachute.

This means that if a cat falls from a greater height, it can actually land on all four legs and survive even the seemingly impossible. But the catch is the height from which it falls. If it’s on the tenth floor, for example, the animal has relatively enough time to reposition itself in the air after jumping out of a window.

In falls from a higher floor, cats have more time to reach terminal velocity, relax and decompose properly, which may lead to a lower rate of serious injury. This does not mean they are not in life-threatening condition. They are at risk of fractured limbs, head shattering or damage to a number of internal organs after such a fall. But they have a much higher chance of survival than if they fall from, say, the sixth or seventh floor, because in that case they do not have time to roll in the air and land on their side or head.

Even a fall from a low height is dangerous

While a fall from the tenth floor is slightly safer for a cat than, for example, from the seventh floor, it is still a miracle if the animal is unharmed. And it does not mean that, for example, a fall from the first floor would be completely safe. Even low heights are very dangerous for cats. But often people don’t realise that.

A cat can be injured even if it falls from a tree. You can’t tell at first glance that it’s hurt. Internal injuries may not show up for several days. And that’s the most dangerous part of the whole thing. If the animal is limping, you take it to the vet. After hearing the whole story, they should do a thorough examination to see if the cat is really all right. But if the animal falls off the first-floor balcony and seems fine, it won’t even get to the doctor.

After a few days, you may find that the pet is uncomfortable, something hurts, it is not eating. In this case, internal injuries have already begun to manifest themselves and it may be too late to treat them. So even if your cat is seemingly fine after any fall, you’d better have it examined. And if she has fallen from a greater height, don’t boast that you have a hero at home. Take your four-legged friend to the vet immediately, as it is very likely that he will have some internal injuries.