How Far Can Cats Fall? Answers About High Rise Cat Syndrome

By Kate Wilson BS, CBCC, CPDT

On the narrow edge of a second-story window sat a young female cat, looking out over New York City. She was a sleek creature, splotched white and black, enjoying a summer day as the window was left open to let some fresh air into the apartment.

No one saw it happen, but when her human companion came home, they found the cat crouched outside the apartment at street level with her front leg injured. The person rushed her to The Animal Medical Center right away. It was the early 1980s, and this little injured cat was about to be included in the observations of the veterinarians there—observations later recorded in a study that coined the term “high-rise syndrome.”

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What is High Rise Syndrome?

Around 50 years ago, this animal medical center noticed clusters of injuries in cats that had fallen from tall buildings. Their humans had rushed them into the clinic with a series of traumatic injuries that were becoming familiar:

• Collapsed lung, chest trauma, and internal injury
• Head trauma: broken jaws, nosebleeds, chipped teeth, and separated hard palate
• Injuries to legs: limb fractures (the front leg, or tibia, being the most common at about 36% of cases), ruptured tendons, and torn ligaments

Not Just Cats: How Falls Impact Dogs and Humans Too

Dogs can also present with high-rise syndrome. A study found that dogs don't generally survive falls over six stories; however, this same study reported that of 81 dogs that had fallen from between one and six stories, only one did not survive.

We also fall. Humans slip and trip over balconies and suffer injury. When a person falls off a building around 60 feet high, only 50% survive. However, one man fell 47 stories in a tragic accident and survived.

How Far Can Cats Fall Without Getting Hurt?

Cats are known for their remarkable agility and ability to survive falls that would seriously injure other animals. Thanks to their righting reflex—a built-in ability to twist their bodies midair and land on their feet—they often walk away from surprising heights. But how far a cat can fall without getting hurt depends on several factors, including age, weight, health, and the surface they land on. While some cats have survived falls from over ten stories, even a drop from a second-story window can cause serious injury.

How do cats fall without getting hurt?

The righting reflex is a reflex cats have to flip around so they land feet first. This is a reflex from cats' arboreal ancestry. A cat needs about three feet to properly right itself. The cat then arches its back and extends its legs to absorb the shock and force of impact. It's a cool reflex; however, it’s not safe to drop cats in order to test it. Cats dropped on purpose can still get hurt if they are older, already injured, or have balance issues.

Terminal velocity is the max speed a surface area and weight will reach while falling. More surface area and lower body weight result in slower max speeds, so they hit the ground with less force. Cats probably reach this max velocity at around five or six stories. It is thought that cats move their arms out at terminal velocity to maximize surface area, and that could be why they are getting more chest and head injuries at higher heights. This angling of the legs helps the cat prevent breaking its legs and disperses the force of impact.

Falls from higher places lead to more severe trauma. This is in contrast to what earlier studies suggested, where authors claimed that with falls of around five and six stories, cats actually had less serious injuries. This original observation led to the common misconception that cats suffer more severe injuries at lower heights, whereas research shows the opposite is true. It is suggested that this initial bias appeared in the study’s results because cats who did not survive higher falls were never taken to the vet clinic. This omission of fatal falls limited the cats included in the study, skewing the results so cats in higher falls appeared more likely to survive.

How to Know If Your Cat is OK After a Fall

Understanding and Preventing High-Rise Syndrome in Cats

It’s so nice to have fresh air through open balconies and windows—and it’s possible to enjoy the benefits without the risk. Here are some things that can help prevent falls:

• Consider a window limiter that keeps windows from fully opening
• Build secure catios on your balcony with strong screens and ledges for cats to look out safely
• Check screens regularly and consider pet protectors over high windows (sliding window locks or baby gates work great)
• Re-check your balconies, screens, and safety precautions regularly. If you only have a screen, consider not fully opening the window, as screens can pop out

Key Takeaways on Cat High-Rise Syndrome