The Khmer Times blows up one of the great cat myths — “that they can balance themselves on the thinnest balcony rails and even if they do fall they just get up and walk away.” Certainly this legend helps contribute to the universal belief that cats have 9 lives.
Cats Do Fall And Get Hurt
Unfortunately this feline fable does not hold up to closer scrutiny. The reality is that “while cats may be fantastic at balancing and even when falling (they do manage to land on their feet) their bones are just as fragile as those of other animals. And cats do fall far more often than we ourselves want to believe.”
In fact, “injuries can be so severe that the cat’s legs may have to be amputated to save their lives.” According to Animal Planet, “veterinarians treating the broken legs and other injuries of cats that survive falls from high-rise apartments noticed that the cats who fell from greater heights, such as more than five stories, often suffered less severe injuries than those falling from just a few floors because the longer drop gave the cats’ bodies more time to right themselves.”
Confine Apartment and Condo Cats to Catios
According to the article, cats that live on balconies need to be protected from the risk of falling. The author suggests “an easy, cheap and simple solution: install a mesh around the open space of the balcony, so while your feline companion enjoys fresh air, plants and chasing geckos, the risk of falling over is never a danger.”
Imagine, “If one small cat can change coming home to an empty house to coming back to a real Home, imagine what a Catio can do to your empty and dusty balcony.”