Posted on 07/05/2008 6:45:11 AM PDT by Daffynition
VANCOUVER - Marley the cat dropped 14 storeys out of a window of a high-rise and lived to meow about it.
It may have been nature that lured him out, and it was nature that cushioned his fall.
Angela Bester had left a window slightly ajar for her one-year-old Scottish Fold domestic cross she named after a favourite singer, Bob Marley, while she took an overnight trip to Whistler.
When she returned to her 14th storey condo, she froze.
"I saw the window and I knew instantly what had happened and I looked at the (uneaten) food and the water. In my heart, I knew he was gone," said the construction health and safety manager.
"I was completely devastated."
Fearing what lay below, her boyfriend, Jonathan Stevens, volunteered to go down to the ground-floor garden that doubles as a green roof for the parking lot.
He saw a flattened fern. Then he spotted Marley darting into the shrubbery.
Bester and their neighbours joined the search and after three hours, Marley finally emerged, still looking dazed and confused.
"He was hugging my boyfriend, he had his paws around his neck and he was not letting go," said Bester.
A trip to the vet gave him the all-clear.
"He's extremely affectionate like he's always been," said Bester.
She guessed Marley took the dive after being tempted by the birds that frequently fly nearby, and she plans to install a screen over the window.
"We figured it out, he fell 150 feet," said Bester.
The high perch may have saved him. Studies have shown 90 per cent of cats that have fallen up to 32 storeys have survived. Ironically, those falling from higher than six storeys are more likely to survive - and they suffer fewer injuries.
The theory is when cats reach full velocity, they relax and spread themselves out like a flying squirrel and land on their bellies, not their feet.
Another possible explanation is that cats that die in a fall from great heights are less likely to be brought to the vet.
Marley's free fall isn't even the local record.
Two cats survived a fall from a 21-storey apartment into bushes in August 1997, and a 10-month-old kitten lived after a 20-storey plummet from a Burnaby, B.C., building in July 1994.
I good friend of mine had a cat that survived a ten-story fall from her NYC apartment. He had a broken let but recovered fully.
kitty ping
Okay, let me get this straight. She leaves a window open - 14 stories up - leaves the condo overnight - and is shocked yes shocked when the inevitable happens?
Marley was probably trying to get away from this genius by any means possible.
Our cat sits on the railing of our second story deck and watches the humming birds come to the feeder which hangs out over thin air. The hummers actually get within a few inches of Bobb and chew him out. He just twitches his tail. He’s not the smartest cat we’ve owned but he is basically a coward.
I’d say Marley qualified for his jump wings.
And this wasn’t even the Vancouver record. LOL Who keeps these stats anyway?
I am the Invinible Sword God. Armed with the incredible Green Destiny. Be you Li or Southern Crane. Lower your head and ask for mercy. I am the desert dragon. I leave no trace.
i lived in a 13 story dorm when i was in college.
a female friend’s
pussy jumped out the 11th story
and survived.
someone said that cats relax during the fall and that’s why they survive.
I think they were trying to equate the fall to what flying squirrels do in 'flight.'
I'm trying to imagine it too. ;)
I guess you do. LOL!
Apparently cats know somethng Russian supermodels don’t.
There was a study done in NYC about cats falling out of high-rise windows. It turns out - IIRC - they are more likely to survive if they fall ten stories than if they fall five. It gives them time to land on their feet.
My son’s cat fell out the 6th floor window twice over 2 years and lived and found his way back to us. First time was missing 2 weeks. One day we were walking into the building and their was MommyCat sitting in front. When she saw Rob she just Meowed and he went nuts. Second time same thing but we found her hiding in bushes. MC lived til she was 18 years old. We had her cremated and sent her ashes to my son in NC where she still sits on his mantel and will always have a place in his heart and mine.
My cat Deco fell 11 stories in 1989. She lived initially, but the fall apparently damaged her kidneys and a year later she went into a decline and died despite all we and the vet could do. It was sad because she was so young. They may survive the fall, but it can do long-term damage.
cats are so cool!
(i like dogs too.)
i have a friend that has a cat that acts human. she follows her mom around and socializes with the neighbors.
my dad had a cat that thought it was a dog.
lots of experience with cats because i grew up on a dairy farm and city folks would drop off their unwanted cats in the night.
we had so many that we had to have the vets neuter them.
Friends of mine have a Scottish Fold that they took in as a stray. He also puts his paws around your neck and nuzzles you under your chin while purring. Wonder if this is common to the breed?
Excellent news story for a quiet holiday weekend Saturday. PING it over to Slings and Arrows. =^..^=
LOL!
Studies have shown 90 per cent of cats that have fallen up to 32 storeys have survived...Another possible explanation is that cats that die in a fall from great heights are less likely to be brought to the vet.
LOL!
Priceless! I’m stealing it! ;)
Agent 99?
“I’d say Marley qualified for his jump wings.”
Parakitty.
One of our kittens decided she’d had enough “cuddling” from my 10yo daughter and took off running. He didn’t stop when he got to the edge of the deck, which is 12 feet up. He survived the fall, but was in a complete daze for the rest of that day. He doesn’t run on the deck anymore :)
*******************
LOL! You have a point. :)
Or Agent 9
Marley Man! You make falling 14 floors look so dope man!
“I remember when I used to land
“In the Government Yard in Trench Town...”
Terminal velocity. If the cat is all tucked up into a ball, there is little surface area for wind resistance and the critter falls faster. If it were to relax and spread its legs out, this would present more surface area to resist the wind and slow the critter down.
Something’s fishy here. I think the boyfriend threw the cat out the window, and then went down to make sure the deed was done. When he caught the cat, it tried to strangle the boyfriend, but couldn’t. After being threatened, the cat’s not talking.
Those that live to tell the “tail” are in the catbird’s seat. Those that don’t are given a new name for their headstone: Splat the Cat.
The possibilities are endless ..... I think he was influenced by a gang that moved into the neighborhood...
What a regal cat! I haven’t seen one that beautiful since mom’s Maine Coon passed way! Thanks for posting! ;-D
I'd take the falling survival statistics in the article with a grain of salt. Great story, though.
Actually, I've seen reports of similar studies. It seems that the greater distance gives the cat more time to orient itself and prepare for the impact by relaxing.
Mark
Go figure, my fat cat fell of my bed (3 ft) and broke her hind leg. This was about 3 weeks prior to that video of that other cat that was up in a tree about 60 - 80 ft up for three days. When they were finally able to attempt a rescue, it jumped and ran off........LOL!
That looks like the famous “Hole in the Window” gang.
Dead cats that fall from great heights are less likely to be taken to the vet...
Yeah, I guess that would skew the numbers a bit.
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