Kitten falls victim to High-rise syndrome

Lilac the Kitten Rescued after Falling from the 12^th Story of an Apartment Building

 It’s that time of year when the temperatures have warmed up to the point where many people open their tightly-closed windows to get some fresh air into their homes after being shut after a long, cold winter.

Sadly, for those who live in buildings above the second floor,  the consequences of allowing the air to filter through the open windows can lead to very scary and catastrophic situations referred to as “High-Rise Syndrome.”

  Last month, a report was taken by the Pennsylvania SPCA regarding a cat being thrown from a 12th story window of an apartment building.  After their officers investigated the case,  their conclusion showed no evidence of animal cruelty toward the kitten. The feline was taken to their hospital where “Lilac” (PSPCA officers named her) was found to have fractures of both femurs, a fracture of her hard palate and a soft tissue injury to her wrist.  Lilac was sent to the University of Pennsylvania small animal hospital for surgery to surgically repair both femurs and oral surgery to repair her palate.

Lilac’s injuries have completely healed and through all of this she found a new home with a student working at UPenn involved in her care.  The kitten was surrendered after the previous owner was unable to afford the medical bills incurred to heal Lilac’s injuries and restore her health.

The PSPCA Humane Officers’ investigation showed the kitten had access to a balcony while the owner wasn’t home and fell from the 12th story of the building.

How do we protect cats from falling prey to High-Rise Syndrome?

Many people mistakenly think that cats won’t fall or jump due to an internal instinct warning them not to jump.  This is false.

 “Oftentimes people say, ‘cats always land on their feet,’ but it is a common misconception that cats will not be injured if they fall from even low height levels,” says PSPCA Staff Veterinarian JoEllen Bruinooge. “In fact, they may actually have more damage when falling from only two-to-four stories because they do not have time to adjust their body position.” Cats will often survive from heights higher than any human could survive, however, these cats will often experience very serious, life-threatening injuries such as fractures of their jaw or the roof of their mouth, brain injury, lung damage or multiple broken legs.

Here are  prevention tips suggested by Dr. Bruinooge to avoid High-Rise syndrome injuries:

·        Secure windows with well-fitting, animal proof screens

·        When able, open the top pane of windows that are inaccessible to pets, rather than the bottom panes

·        Never leave windows open when animals are unattended

·        Close windows before starting loud appliances such as vacuums or blenders that may startle cats

·         If pets are allowed out on balconies never leave them unattended. Even then, do not allow then to jump onto railings or banisters. Move all furniture away from railings to lower access or better yet just don’t let them out. Accidents happen!

·         Close windows before playing chase or fetch games inside with your pet, they may be more focused on that laser pointer than the approaching window

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