Bionic cat bounces back after death drop fall

Baby, a six-year-old female cat, has been dubbed a 'bionic cat' by Blue Cross veterinary staff after remarkably surviving two falls from a second-storey window.

The most recent incident happened in September 2007, when Baby accidentally fell from a window in her home in South London. Her owner rushed her to The Blue Cross for emergency treatment at the animal hospital in Victoria, London.

"Lucky to be alive"

X-rays showed that Baby was lucky to be alive, having sustained severe injuries including multiple fractures in both back legs. To the surprise of vets, the x-rays also revealed two existing metal implants in both of her front legs, which had been inserted after a similar plunge when she was a young kitten. 

Veterinary surgeons carried out emergency surgery to save Baby's life, fitting her with a metal plate and screws, and metal fixture frame. She is now recovering well but will need further surgery to remove the metal implants of the fixture frame.

The bionic cat

Jess Gower, Blue Cross chief veterinary surgeon at Victoria says: "Baby is an extremely lucky cat. A cat falling from this height will commonly sustain severe injuries, so we were stunned to find it was the second time she had done it! Now she has metal implants in all four legs, so the staff decided to call her the 'bionic cat'. She's had two lucky escapes but needs to be very careful to keep her remaining lives intact." 

The Blue Cross recommends that pets should never be allowed to rest on balconies or window ledges if they are above ground level. Cats in particular are easily spooked by sudden or unknown noises and this could cause them to bolt and slip, in any direction. Baby's injuries show that the results can be severe and other pets may not be so lucky. 

November 2007