When Cats Fall

Cats are known for their climbing skills, but even they can fall. Open windows can pose a great danger to cats. Read here about the risk of injury for cats from falls and how you can ensure your cat’s safety at home.

Cats are great climbers and also have a reputation for always being able to land on their hind legs. Therefore, it is often underestimated how many cats are injured by falling from the balcony, from the window, or in the apartment and that falls pose a serious danger to the animals.

In Vienna alone, between April and October, around 15 cats fall out of an open window or balcony every day, according to the Viennese animal shelter “Tierquartier” in the newspaper “Heute”.
Causes why cats fall down

There are many reasons why cats fall: the urge for freedom, hunting fever, or boredom in combination with a window accidentally left open or an unsecured balcony can quickly lead to a fall. Also, frightening the cat can cause it to slip and fall.

Kittens in particular, who are not yet able to judge distances and jump heights correctly, run the risk of falling when playing and romping. Even older cats, whose vision or sense of balance is restricted by health handicaps, often make a mistake. However, unfortunate coincidences can bring down even experienced climbers!

How Dangerous is Fall for Cats?

In general, any kind of fall is dangerous for the cat: the consequences are bruises, fractured teeth, broken bones, trauma, internal injuries, and, in the worst case, death.

But it often happens that falls from a “small” height are more fatal for cats than from a greater height.

Why Do Some Cats Survive Falls From Great Heights?

Again and again one hears that cats survive falls from several floors. This can be explained with the so-called turning reflex of the cat. This ensures that they can turn at lightning speed from the supine position even in free fall and bring their body and all four paws into the correct landing position. The turning reflex is already fully developed in the seventh week of life. The flexible skeleton of cats also significantly increases their chances of survival.

Falls From Low Heights Are Also Dangerous for Cats

Falls from a small height is often underestimated. However, when a cat falls from a small height, it does not always completely align its body. A certain distance is necessary for this. That is why falls from low heights pose a great danger to the cat.

This becomes critical not only in the case of falls from the lower floors but also in the apartment. In addition to the possible consequences mentioned, falls from shelves and cupboards, in which furnishings such as flower vases or fragile decorative items are sometimes swept away, also harbor the additional risk of cuts. An unfortunate impact on hard edges, such as the edge of a table or heater, can also lead to internal injuries.

If you have a cat in your household, you should always secure balconies and windows! At high altitude as well as at low! There is always a risk of injury!

Make Your Home Fall-Proof For Your Cat

So that your cat cannot fall, either from the balcony or out of the window or in the apartment, you should take appropriate precautionary measures to avoid accidents from the outset:

• Install window grille
• Secure balconies and terraces with cat nets
• Fasten shelves to the wall with brackets
• Make smooth shelf surfaces non-slip with sisal mats or carpet scraps
• If necessary, rearrange furniture to avoid falling onto hard edges
• Store decorative items and fragile items away from prying cats’ paws
• Tie up the curtains or remove them entirely

Symptoms of a Cat After a Fall

If a cat falls off the balcony or out of the window and survives, you should urgently consult a veterinarian. The cat may have internal injuries and broken bones and may need surgery.

However, in some cases, injuries after a fall are not obvious. Cats are masters at hiding their pain. After a crash (which didn’t result in any obvious external injuries), cats appear unharmed, but appearances can be deceiving. The following warning signs indicate that the cat has suffered pain, injury, or blunt trauma:

• Cat suddenly becomes a “floor cat” and avoids jumping and climbing
  touch pain
• Loss of appetite, for example as a result of a tooth fracture
• Injuries in the area of ​​the front paws and the head area
• skin abrasions
• Difficulty breathing through to shortness of breath as a result of a diaphragm or lung rupture
• increased need for rest
• Increased sneezing with light, foamy blood admixtures as a result of a pulmonary hemorrhage

Precisely because internal injuries often remain invisible, the risk of falling – whether from a great or small height – should not be underestimated. If you suspect that your cat has had an unfortunate fall, always consult a vet to be on the safe side – and as soon as possible!