Curious cats are losing legs and breaking bones after falling from open windows in the hot weather .
Vets say there has been a sharp rise in pets admitted after tumbling from balconies and windows and are urging owners to stay on high alert.
Caroline Reay, senior vet at Blue Cross, said: “It is a myth to think that cats will always fall safely on all four paws, one which implies an open window or balcony is no threat.
“The number of pets we’ve seen during this warmer season are lucky to be alive after their falls.
“We see so many pets at our hospitals every year with shattered bones and internal injuries and sadly these injuries can prove fatal.”
Cats and dogs in city centre flats are particularly vulnerable. Vets at the Blue Cross hospital at Victoria in central London see seven pets in a fortnight falling from heights.
Milo, a seven-month-old cat, was rushed in after his owner found him on the floor outside his home. He had fallen from their fourth floor flat on to railings below. Milo suffered rips and punctures including one to the lungs, which vets drained to save him.
Vets also had to amputate the leg of a three-month-old kitten after she fell out of a third floor window.
This week, two stray cats have come to the charity after big falls.
Minnie, a cat who was abandoned in a flat when her owners moved out, was brought in after falling from a second storey window.
Mouse, another young stray, arrived at the hospital on July 14 with two broken front legs. Vets suspect a fall from at least the second floor.
It is not just cats at risk. Last week the hospital also treated a young dog who fell from a third floor balcony.
A Blue Cross survey revealed more than half of owners still believe the myth that cats can safely land on their feet from a height if they fall.
It advises owners to put up screens and netting at windows to save them.
Caroline said: “If you’ve got a cat, don’t leave a gap.”
