A bit of a shock

**Howlinbob** · 15th August 2010, 09:01 PM

Had a bit of a shock today. Larry fell out of a tree. He got up and walked off, and has been behaving just as normal since, so it looks like there's no harm done. But crikey, I couldn't believe my eyes. He has climbed this tree before and got down OK, but not this time. I was standing there watching him clamber about when he lost his footing and fell down. I should have reached out to break his fall but it was all over so quickly, I guess I froze in horror. He was up high - about 9 or 10 feet? Well above my head. The tree is a tall conifer so maybe the other branches slowed his fall. But he fell onto the patio and clipped a plant pot on his way down. I got him into the house where he paced up and down the windowsill howling at the rest of us still in the garden, 'it's not fair!' He has eaten all his tea and has been up to his usual naughty tricks this evening, so I hope he's had a lucky escape.

Should I let him learn from his mistake, or should I now ban him from climbing trees?

**jckkerrison** · 15th August 2010, 09:46 PM

Wouldn't like to be you if you try to ban him from his tree climbing,if it put the wind up him enough you might be lucky & he will do it for himself,sounds as if you were the shocked one,doesn't do the heart palpatations any good does it,daughters cat went out of an upstairs window once,they didn't realise the spare bedroom door had opened & the window in there didn't have a safety screen over it,they were watching TV & wondered what went flying past the sitting room window & when they went out to look the cat sat on the doorstep,like you they suffered from shock more than the cat,she just walked in & started eating.
It sounds as if your boy is fine,nothing broken might just find after a nights sleep he could be a bit stiff & tender in the morning if he has any bruising where he caught the plant pot but knowing cats & their nine lives he won't even have that,,,,,bless.

**DInkidi Ozzy** · 15th August 2010, 11:07 PM

Does he have his nails trimmed - if yes I think the height of climbing needs to be limited - because it will limit his ability to hang on and right himself if he gets off balance
Thankfully he is OK

**Karena** · 15th August 2010, 11:09 PM

Cats seem to have a knack of falling without hurting themselves so I shouldn't worry too much. It might make him a bit more careful next time and you may need to remind him he only has 8 lives left now

It must have been a fright for you though and am glad he is OK. Simba woke me up this morning falling off the bedroom windowsil where he must have fallen asleep and forgot where he was. He made the most almightly clatter as he scrambled to hold on to the curtaiin and then he fell onto Elsa who in turn yelped with the shock of a cat falling on her when she was deep in sleep - this was all at 5am and was a slight shock to wake up to

**Louie-Louie** · 16th August 2010, 06:54 AM

our old MC was always falling off things he had fell asleep on

Maybe get Larry a parachute

**Howlinbob** · 16th August 2010, 09:32 AM

Thanks everyone. Larry is absolutely fine this morning, thank goodness. @ Dinkidi - his claws have not been trimmed, so he doesn't even have that excuse! I suppose he's just going to have to learn to be a better tree-climber - and I will try to catch him next time...!

**Antonia** · 16th August 2010, 01:21 PM

Awww... poor Larry. What a relief to hear he's fine now. I can imagine your shock... young cats look so vulnerable but they're tougher than you think.

**mcguy** · 16th August 2010, 04:36 PM

A few years ago we had a male MC kitten that was quite determined to get outside. The first several times he got out, the entire family had to chase him around the yard trying to get him in (once at night, in the dark). I think around the second time he got out, he shot straight up a tree, about 12-15' up, then walked out on a branch. We were all standing around horrified. After a few minutes it became clear he had no idea how to get down, so I went to get an extension ladder to try to get him down. As I was coming with the ladder, though, he decided he had had enough and launched himself off the branch toward the ground. We assumed the worst, but he simply landed and continued running around the yard with us chasing him. A real wild child. Unfortunately, he died of a rather rare problem at age two (intussusception).

Some cats definitely are not as good as others at getting down. Because of the way their nails curve, they cannot come down frontwards, so they either need to have branches to work their way down, or they need to learn to shimmy down backwards (this is what many do not seem to get).

**harrymc** · 16th August 2010, 07:35 PM

Ahhh bless him, poor Larry, glad he's ok now though, you'll have to put padding at the bottom of the conifers so he bounces !

**Karena** · 16th August 2010, 09:05 PM

Originally Posted by NCarver

Some cats definitely are not as good as others at getting down. Because of the way their nails curve, they cannot come down frontwards, so they either need to have branches to work their way down, or they need to learn to shimmy down backwards (this is what many do not seem to get).

That is how Simba climbs down from trees. He did try and come down head first once but ended up jumping the last bit so he now lowers himself down backwards. He seems to be able to hang on to the trunk using his nails very well and will often stop half way to look around