This pathology is one of the most common accidents among domestic cats, veterinarians know it as “parachuting cat syndrome” or “flying cat syndrome”.
Those felines who go to the veterinarian due to falls from more than 7 meters high, equivalent to 2 floors, are the ones who suffer from this syndrome.
What are the symptoms?
It is not that cats feel the need to jump into the void, but, as we know, they are playful and have a great hunting instinct. Therefore, if a bird, an insect or even a reflection that passes in front of the window or balcony, attracts their attention, our cat will run to hunt its prey or toy.
Not to mention, how much they like to make almost impossible balances or walk near the windows and peek out to browse. Any mistake or misstep can mean a fall that our cat did not expect.
Curiosity and play is not the only thing that moves the cat to be distracted, we must also take into account the instinct, the times of heat, the agility of the animal and the age of the animal since in each stage of its life it has the same risk of suffering an accident.
The cat has an instinctive capacity to fall on its four legs whatever its position is before falling. This is because its body weight is symmetrically and harmoniously distributed so that the center of gravity coincides with the geometric center of its body. This allows it to restore its physiological position during the process of falling… but it does not always succeed and for this reason we must be very careful and attentive.
The cat’s capacity to survive a fall has a limit, falling from a fifth or sixth floor is usually fatal.
When a cat falls into the void, even if it is unharmed, when it returns home it can be very frightened by the experience. It is common for them to spend 2 or 3 days in hiding. We have to give him time to recover, without forcing him and little by little he will recover his usual behavior.
Of course, our cat can survive, but it can also suffer severe injuries, mainly in the head, posterior region, abdomen and thorax. If our cat has fallen into the void and, when we find him, we do not discover any superficial lesions, we should still take him to the veterinarian in order to rule out possible internal lesions and be reassured.
How to avoid this dangerous syndrome?
We can try to keep the windows closed when our pet is near, although it is quite complicated and we must be with a thousand eyes. We can also make the inside of our house more fun for him, for example, with the help of more interactive toys.
It is true that these remedies are not the most effective and do not provide complete peace of mind in the face of an ever-present danger. There is another option that also gives us the opportunity to go outside without worrying about leaving our homes ventilated. It is the installation of a security system consisting of a transparent nylon mesh, which allows 100% light and air to pass through, and prevents our cat from falling into the void.
