Welcome friends and visitors to another opportunity I get to share about human friends, what could affect them and by extension affect their owners, and of course how to avoid/prevent such occurrences. Today, I will be sharing about, high rise syndrome in cats. I hope you can read to the end and you find it worth your while eventually.
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While cats are well known for their ability to land on their feet, you will be shocked to know that they do not always tick to this act of landing(If you are not close to one). Maybe, as a cat owner, you have observed this from your cat, but if you do not own one or you are not close to one, you would almost argue that it is impossible for these species of animals not to take advantage of their unique specialty whenever they want to land from a high place, and that is where this syndrome comes from.
It is also common for people to think that, that their pet falling from a high point is not dangerous to their pet. It takes just a little time for your dear cat to twist themselves around and land on their feet, but shortfalls may not give the required time to do this, so whether it is a short or long-distance fall, it is dangerous.
It is correct that cats have an excellent survival instinct, but they also can focus on anything that catches their fancy, even something as simple as a flying bird could distract them and make them fall.
Basically, when a cat falls, they flip over to land on their feet, and in the process of that happening, they splay their legs slightly. While this may help to better absorb the impact of the fall, it can also result in pelvis and head injury. If your cat falls on a concrete floor, it may lose consciousness, but do not assume they have not survived, instead get them to an emergency unit on time.
High-rise syndrome is a common set of injuries that cats may sustain whenever they fall from a high place, this condition is more common when the weather is warm. However, it does not mean it cannot happen at any time a balcony or window I left unclosed.
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You will agree with me that, cats love to sit on windowsills and carefully observe birds fly, if a window is left too wide open, or there is a push on a loose screen, they could easily fall out. A case of loud noise or when they are startled could also make them fall.
It is advised that once your cat experiences a fall, they are taken in for examination, there could be some injuries sustained that you may not observe, the sooner there could be an evaluation and treatment, the better it would be for the safety of your pet and a better chance at recovery.
When a cat falls, it may experience shock and require oxygen, fluids, and pain relief. The veterinarian in charge will conduct a full examination and may even request an ultrasound, x-rays, or other types of tests that would evaluate the condition of your cat. While the
fall may result in different types of injuries, the most common ones are; fractures to the limb, injury to the lung and chest, facial and head injury, and bleeding from the abdominal organ injuries.
The severity of the injury depends on how far the cat fell, and the position where it landed. Treatment typically includes oxygen when there is chest trauma, surgery in a case of abdominal injury or a broken bone, and then a dental treatment for a case of fractured jaw or fractured teeth.
The good thing is, that the case of high-rise syndrome can be prevented, all that cat owners need to focus on is how to keep their cats safe.
- Pets should be kept away from open balconies.
- The window screen should be tightly kept in place.
- Balcony doors should be closed all the time.
If your cat has previously undergone surgery, you will be given very specific instructions for home-care treatment, the site of incision will need to be carefully monitored to check for signs of infection. Painkillers will also be administered as movement will be restricted.
Conclusion
High-rise syndrome will only happen when your cat can access spaces where they can fall over a significant distance, like an open window. To make sure that your cat is protected, keep them indoors.
When you keep your cat indoors, you are protecting them from high-rise syndrome, other cases of car accidents, and diseases from other animals.