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Chicago Cat Survives Jump From 5th Floor of Burning Building

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Author Josie Messeter

cat jumps from burning building
Image by the Chicago Fire Department

Having watched this video of a cat who jumps from a burning building and survives, there’s no doubt about the fact that these feisty creatures definitely have nine lives.

Why Can Cats Jump From Such Tall Heights and Not Get

Injured?

black cat
Image by Lachlan Gowen via Unsplash

Cats possess several anatomical adaptations that allow them to survive falls from high places.

Their highly flexible spine, cushioned and agile limbs, and a unique righting reflex make sure that they twist their bodies in mid-air to land on their feet. This “righting reflex” already begins to appear at 3 weeks old and is perfected by 7 weeks.

Beyond that, they instinctually stretch out their four legs so that their body becomes sort of like a parachute and slows their speed down. 

Close up of tabby cat
Close up of tabby cat. Image by Lucas Pezeta via Pexels

What Is the Highest a Cat Can Fall Without Dying?

Of course, this is a hard thing to measure – we don’t want to go around throwing these cute furballs from tall buildings. The little research that has been done though, suggests that a cat should be able to survive a fall of as much as 200 feet (around 20 stories) with very few injuries.

Cat Jumps From Burning Building: The Video

YouTube video
“Cat jumps out 5th floor window, survives fall during Englewood fire”, Source: YouTube, Uploaded: ABC 7 Chicago

A fire had broken out in the Chicago neighborhood called Englewood. Someone filming the sad event from the ground suddenly witnessed a tiny creature jumping out from a window on the fifth floor.

The creature in question was a black cat, and lands safely on its four paws and walked away like nothing had happened – with all its nine lives to spare.

Cat Jumps From Burning Building: Wrapping Up

Rusty-spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus phillipsi)
Rusty-spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus phillipsi). Image by wrangel via Depositphotos

This cat walked away from a life-threatening situation completely unscratched and, by the looks of it, pretty unbothered by what we see as a dramatic situation. It seems to be true that cats always land on all four feet and that they do indeed have nine lives.

Thank you for reading this article about the Chicago cat that jumps from a burning building!

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