08-15-2012, 04:01 PM
A jump is different from a fall...
I watched one of my (now passed) cats jump from a tree a good 40 feet off the ground, land with a very audible THUMP-OOOHHHFF!!!! on the grrass, pick himself up after a stunned moment, and walk off like it was (almost) nothing.
I examined him thoroughly (as thoroughly as a non-vet layman, anyway) and he was fine. As I recall, he didn't climb any more trees.
Said cats sister also jumped very nonchalantly from a second story window, landing much more lightly and delicately (she was a lighter more delicate cat... Al was a big husky cat).
My current cat, Max, has jumped off a 10' roof. He PREFERS when I have my car parked so he can jump 4 feet onto the roof of the car, then down... but he doesn't let the 10' jump bother him much. Fortunately, the novelty of walking around the roof looking down on everything has pretty much worn off, so he doesn't go up there much.
I watched one of my (now passed) cats jump from a tree a good 40 feet off the ground, land with a very audible THUMP-OOOHHHFF!!!! on the grrass, pick himself up after a stunned moment, and walk off like it was (almost) nothing.
I examined him thoroughly (as thoroughly as a non-vet layman, anyway) and he was fine. As I recall, he didn't climb any more trees.
Said cats sister also jumped very nonchalantly from a second story window, landing much more lightly and delicately (she was a lighter more delicate cat... Al was a big husky cat).
My current cat, Max, has jumped off a 10' roof. He PREFERS when I have my car parked so he can jump 4 feet onto the roof of the car, then down... but he doesn't let the 10' jump bother him much. Fortunately, the novelty of walking around the roof looking down on everything has pretty much worn off, so he doesn't go up there much.