Bionic cat bounces back after death drop fall

23/11/2007

Baby, a six-year-old female feline, has been dubbed a 'bionic cat' after remarkably surviving TWO falls from a second-storey window to be fitted with metal implants in all four of her legs.

The most recent incident happened in September this year, when Baby accidentally fell from a window in her home in South London. Her owner rushed her to pet charity The Blue Cross for emergency treatment at its animal hospital in Victoria, London. X-rays showed that Baby was lucky to be alive, having sustained severe injuries including multiple fractures in both back legs. To the surprise of vets, the x-rays also revealed two existing metal implants in both of her front legs, which had been inserted after a similar plunge when she was a young kitten. 

Blue Cross vets carried out emergency surgery to save Baby's life, fitting her with a metal plate and screws, and metal fixture frame. She is now recovering well but will need further surgery to remove the metal implants of the fixture frame.

Jess Gower, Blue Cross chief veterinary surgeon at the Victoria animal hospital said: Baby is an extremely lucky cat. A cat falling from this height will commonly sustain severe injuries, so we were stunned to find it was the second time she had done it!  Now she has metal implants in all four legs, so the staff decided to call her the 'bionic cat'. She's had two lucky escapes but needs to be very careful to keep her remaining lives intact." 

The care of Blue Cross staff means Baby is bouncing back to health, but the charity is also offering advice and support and advice to her owners on her future well-being. The Blue Cross recommends that pets should never be allowed to rest on balconies or window ledges if they are above ground level. Cats in particular are easily spooked by sudden or unknown noises and this could cause them to bolt and slip, in any direction.Baby's injuries show that the results can be severe and other pets may not be so lucky. 

Baby is eligible for veterinary treatment from The Blue Cross because her owners receive means tested benefits and cannot afford to pay private vet fees. The charity helps thousands of other sick and injured animals every year at its four veterinary hospitals in London and Grimsby. However, The Blue Cross receives no government funding so it relies on public donations.

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Notes to editors

·     Images of 'Baby' with Jess Gower and her x-ray are available

·     The Blue Cross animal hospital, Victoria is the oldest hospital of its kind in the UK. It provides treatment and care for the pets of owners who cannot afford private vets' fees and undertakes thousands of consultations every year. It was first established in 1906 and has never closed its doors to sick animals since. It was rebuilt in 1999 and officially opened by Her Majesty the Queen in November 2001. In recent years the services have extended to reach people and pets that may struggle to get to the hospital, including mobile veterinary clinics; a community vet nurse to make home visits; and an animal ambulance service to help transport animals to and from the hospital.

·     To contact the hospital call 020 7932 2370. The hospital is open for appointments between 9.30 and 12 midday Monday to Friday and 2.30pm until 4pm Monday to Friday (except Wednesdays).

·     The Blue Cross is Britain's pet charity, providing practical support, information and advice for pet and horse owners. Through its network of animal adoption centres it rehomes thousands of animals each year. Its hospitals provide veterinary care for the pets of people who cannot afford private vets' fees.

Media contact
The Blue Cross: Louise Lee on 020 7932 4066 / 07880 781637 (out of hours) or louise.lee@bluecross.org.uk