Kitten Fell Out Of Tree...(long Post)

[EmersonandEvie]

This has just turned into quite the weekend for me. See my other post about our cat with a hurt leg.

Backstory: This morning, when I went to go feed the porch kitties (our little colony of semiferals), I could hear one of them crying but I couldn't find her. I would get to a spot and she would stop, but no kitten. Then, I looked up...holy cow, how did a 9 week old kitten scale a maple tree???

Very long story short, she fell, strategically missing the tarp I had put down in the even that she did fall. She hit the ground from about 15 feet up in the air. I thought she was dead, I thought she had broken her neck or back, or knocked herself out...I actually screamed when she fell...then the kitten started to scream after about five seconds of being stunned. I scooped her up and she stopped meowing, but her heart was racing. I put her down and she walked (ran) away from me, normally, no dragging/favoring a limb or walking sideways/circles.

I scooped her back up and took her inside. She is currently residing in my bathroom with her bed, some food, and water. I manipulated all her limbs, no pain indicators. She didn't cry when I picked her up. She can run and walk. She even nibbled a bit of food. Her pupils are the same size. She is not meowing, just curled up in the bed. What are signs I need to be looking for? I'm going to keep her inside until dinnertime and then I'll let her rejoin everyone. I will definitely take her in if I need to, but I literally just dropped a chunk of money on Whiskers this morning.

Sorry, I am still on an adrenaline high. Any insight would be very, very appreciated.

 

[Kieka]

If she still isn't limping this evening she is probably okay. Most of the time, cats can recover from jumping or falling from greater heights then humans. Part of it is basically gravity and their weight making the fall less impactful then the same fall would be for humans. There actually is an article, How Can a Cat Survive a High-Rise Fall? Physics!, about the subject of you want to get into the science of it.

She probably scared herself with the fall, but instinct kicked in to make it not a bad fall. I've had two cats injured by falls (or suspected falls) both broke a leg. In one case there was no pain response, that one we think the cat wedged his leg and twisted it during the fall causing a break and bruising. The pain response was so low my vet didn't think it was broken at first but I insisted on an x-ray. His sign was limping and not wanting to use the leg. The other cat had the hiding in the closet and acting sick response. When we got him out to check, his leg was visually deformed and obviously broken. So in my experience with two broken legs from, suspected, falls; limping or a desire to not put weight on the leg is what I'd look for. Although.... I have a friend whose (human 4 year old child) broke two bones in his leg (fall on playground) and walked on it for two days complaining it hurt but it wasn't until the third day that he started to limp. So keep an eye out for limping for a few days.

Kittens do heal incredibly quick and her age is in her benefit in this case.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

If she still isn't limping this evening she is probably okay. Most of the time, cats can recover from jumping or falling from greater heights then humans. Part of it is basically gravity and their weight making the fall less impactful then the same fall would be for humans. There actually is an article, How Can a Cat Survive a High-Rise Fall? Physics!, about the subject of you want to get into the science of it.

She probably scared herself with the fall, but instinct kicked in to make it not a bad fall. I've had two cats injured by falls (or suspected falls) both broke a leg. In one case there was no pain response, that one we think the cat wedged his leg and twisted it during the fall causing a break and bruising. The pain response was so low my vet didn't think it was broken at first but I insisted on an x-ray. His sign was limping and not wanting to use the leg. The other cat had the hiding in the closet and acting sick response. When we got him out to check, his leg was visually deformed and obviously broken. So in my experience with two broken legs from, suspected, falls; limping or a desire to not put weight on the leg is what I'd look for. Although.... I have a friend whose (human 4 year old child) broke two bones in his leg (fall on playground) and walked on it for two days complaining it hurt but it wasn't until the third day that he started to limp. So keep an eye out for limping for a few days.

Kittens do heal incredibly quick and her age is in her benefit in this case.

Thank you for the reassurance! She is sleeping now.

 

[Sarthur2]

Where do these cats live? In the yard?

 

[EmersonandEvie]

Where do these cats live? In the yard?

Yes. We have a covered porch that they hang out on, and also the area under the porch. We are in the process of getting everyone TRN.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

Update: I put her back outside and she has been playing with her sister and nursing from mom. Also going up and down the stairs with ease.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

Further update: She is absolutely fine! She has been romping with her siblings all day and was meowing at me for breakfast. I'm so glad that sweet little bean is ok.