This article originally appeared on Yahoo Shine as Despite Shattering Paw, Cat Survives Three Story Fall
When a frantic cat dad couldn't find his cat, Zahleh last weekend, he jokingly asked a squirrel he had seen his cat interacting with to take him to his missing cat.
Surprisingly, that's exactly what the squirrel did by climbing a nearby tree and began to make noises.
That's when Zahleh let out a weak little meow of her own.
Although not an outdoor cat that roamed the neighborhood, she had apparently gotten out of the house to the roof where she sometimes went to watch the wildlife and fell three stories to the ground.
Zahleh's dad, Eddie Budnick, told MyFoxPhilly News that he rushed Zahleh to an emergency vet.
Zahleh's paw was shattered, but luckily, although her jaw was bloodied, the vet determined it would be ok.
Still, if Budnick wanted the leg fixed properly, it would cost around $5,000 to have orthopedic surgery performed on it at the University of Pennsylvania.
Budnick didn't return emails responding to a request for an interview, but Patrick Mahaney, VMD and a veterinary consultant with Pet360.com said, "cats that fall from higher heights - greater than one to two-story elevations- are better able to right themselves and use their body tissues to spread out their surface area to slow down their fall and their tail as a rudder to direct their fall. As a result, they may be less injured in the fall than those felines that fall from lower heights."
Common injuries sustained by cats in falls include pulmonary contusions, fractures (limb, jaw, etc.), abdominal organ (spleen, liver, bladder, etc.) injuries, skin abrasions and lacerations, etc.
"There's even a term in the veterinary profession that describes the issue of cats that tumble from heights and then suffer injuries upon hitting the ground or other objects: High Rise Syndrome," Mahaney said. "It's unfortunate when cats take such falls, as often potentially life-threatening trauma can occur."
Budnick is a student and was having problems paying for Zahleh's care. He started a GoFundMe campaign that raised over $800 this week. He wrote, "Thank you all so much again for helping me out, I raised enough to cover the vet bills. Unfortunately I don't think it will be possible at this time to do the UPenn surgery."
His last update on Wednesday shows Zahleh with a cast lying in her bed. "Been carrying zha to the bathroom and feeding her in bed the past couple days. She can walk but it's pretty painful for her at this point," wrote Budnick.