Cat Survives 12-Story Fall From NYC Apartment, Lands On Feet
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- It's true cats land on their feet.
At least it was true for Copper, a 9-month-old tabby who fell 12 stories in New York City and survived with just a broken paw.
Copper apparently slipped through a narrow opening in Lang's 14th-floor window and landed on top of a two-story garage next door.
The kitty spent nearly nine hours on the roof of the garage because there was no access and Copper's owner Angela Lang, couldn't get hold of anyone who could help.
Finally building service manager Juan Dominguez spotted the cat from the window of his own apartment 10 floors below Lang's. He used a ladder to reach Copper.
Lang says that veterinarians who treated Copper were amazed she was alive.
Dr. Louise Murray, vice president of the ASPCA Animal Hospital on the Upper East Side, says actually the higher the fall, the more likely cats are to survive.
"It's been shown that some of the lower floors are even more dangerous," said Murray. "For example, the second to fifth floor can be more dangerous if they fall because they don't have time to position themselves. So it's not uncommon for cats to survive a fall from a very high perch."
But Murray says it is extremely common for cats to fall from windows in the sping and summer in NYC from apartment windows or balconies and says cats are more likely to fall than people think.
"Unfortunately, there is a misconception that cats' instincts will prevent them from falling from a very high place such as a window, a fire escape or a balcony," said Murray. "People believe cats have instincts that will protect them when in fact the opposite is true. A cat's instinct is to jump after any moving object."
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