High-rise syndrome in cats: why your cat falls from the balcony, even from the first floor, and what to do if it does
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High-rise syndrome is the name vets give to the injuries a cat suffers when it falls from a balcony or window. No floor is risk-free, the first floor included: if your cat falls, take it to the vet even if it seems unhurt, then close in the whole balcony before it goes back out.
Why do cats fall from balconies?
A cat falls from a balcony almost always by accident. According to the ASPCA, cats do not deliberately jump from dangerous heights: they lose their balance while distracted by a bird, or slip from a ledge or brickwork they cannot grip.
According to International Cat Care, owners often describe the same scene: playing with another cat, walking along a ledge, chasing a bird or a butterfly.
A study from the Free University of Berlin, covering 1,125 falls treated at its clinic between 2004 and 2013, notes that cats often fall while playing or hunting a bird or an insect.
The fix: block access to the drop rather than rely on your cat's balance, with a balcony safety net stretched along the whole railing.
Do cats always land on their feet, even from the first floor?
No. According to International Cat Care, the righting reflex is real, but the fall has to be high enough for the cat to turn, and not so high that it causes serious injury; an older or less agile cat may not turn in time.
Low heights offer no protection. According to the ASPCA, a one- or two-storey building is still a risk: a short fall does not give a cat time to adjust its posture. And landing on its feet, slightly splayed, can cause severe head and pelvic injuries.
| Height of the fall | Reference point given by the study | Share of the 1,125 falls |
|---|---|---|
| 4 to 5 m | First floor of an older building | 12.2% |
| 5 to 7 m | Second floor of an older building | 21.8% |
| 8 to 15 m | Second to fourth floor of an older building | 56.5% |
| 16 m and above | Fourth floor of an older building and higher | 9.5% |
This table shows where cats fall from, not a height at which they would be safe. The study only counted falls of at least 4 m and cats brought to the clinic: cats that died at the scene or were never treated are missing, as the authors acknowledge.
According to the second part of the study, 87% of the cats survived, but only 3.7% came through without any injury: 58% had chest trauma and 47% a limb fracture.
Close in the balcony rather than trust its reflexes
The Pelux balcony net, 3 m high, closes in your railing in 3 × 4, 3 × 6 or 3 × 8 m, with a 3 cm mesh knotted at every crossing. Discover the balcony net →
Your cat fell from the balcony: what should you do?
A cat that has fallen from a balcony needs a vet urgently, even if it gets up and walks. According to International Cat Care, even if your cat seems unhurt, always contact your vet; according to the Berlin study, visible signs often do not match what chest X-rays show.
- Get to your cat straight away. According to the ASPCA, a cat that has fallen should be found immediately and taken to a vet.
- Call your vet, or an emergency vet clinic at night, without waiting to see whether it limps or eats.
- Tell them the height of the fall and what your cat landed on. In the study, 75% of cats that landed on a hard surface were seriously injured, against 50% on a soft one.
- Afterwards, follow your vet's advice, and call back if its breathing, appetite, walking or behaviour worries you in the days that follow.
If it has vanished from the foot of the building, search close to where it fell straight away: according to the ASPCA, a cat that falls may land somewhere unfamiliar and dangerous, which frightens it. Follow the method for a frightened cat that has escaped, then go to the vet as soon as you find it.
Before it goes back out: how do you close in the whole balcony?
Nothing suggests that a cat that has fallen once will not do it again: in the Berlin study, eight cats had two separate falls. International Cat Care recommends making a balcony safe with netting or mesh, while watching for the small gaps a cat can squeeze through.
- The whole length, open sides included. The Pelux balcony net is 3 m high; measure your railing from wall to wall, add any open sides and round up to 4, 6 or 8 m.
- A cord designed with bites in mind. It is braided with a strand of stainless steel, but no net is unbreakable: check the edges and the bottom from time to time.
- Hooks that need drilling. They fix to the wall or ceiling of the balcony; if you rent, ask your landlord's permission before drilling.
- No way through. Pull the net taut without creases and check there is no gap left at the bottom or the sides.
For the first few days, stay on the balcony with your cat: a well-fitted net makes the balcony safer, it does not replace your attention. On a top-floor balcony with no ceiling above it, check where the top of the net will fix: the hooks supplied go on the wall or the ceiling. A tilt-and-turn window or a small top-hung window needs a window guard, not this net. To compare a net with a catio, see how to set up a safe outdoor space; the rest is in our safety and care range.
Frequently asked questions
Why do cats fall mostly in the evening and in summer?
In the Berlin study, 77% of falls happened between April and September, and 62% of the falls with a known time between 6 pm and 6 am. According to the authors, windows stay shut during the working day and are opened in the evening for fresh air, when the owner gets home.
Do kittens fall more often than adult cats?
According to the studies cited by International Cat Care, most injured cats are young, many under a year old, because they lack experience. Yet in Berlin only 27% were under a year old, and they were less seriously hurt than older cats. No age is safe.
Does a heavy cat get hurt more badly in a fall?
Not according to the Berlin study, the largest to date according to its authors: across 1,125 falls, weight had no significant link with how serious the injuries were, unlike the height, the landing surface and the cat's age.
Key points
- High-rise syndrome is the set of injuries caused by a fall from a balcony or window; no height is safe.
- After any fall, even with no visible injury, call the vet: in a Berlin study of 1,125 falls, only 3.7% of cats had no injury at all.
- A cat that has fallen once can fall again: eight cats in that study fell twice.
- A balcony net closes in the whole railing, sides included, but replaces neither regular checks nor your presence for the first few days.