West End Cat Falls 19 Stories, Survives

A window cracked to let in the breeze became an accidental skydiving opportunity when Sugar, a cat who lives in a Storrow Drive high-rise with her owner Britney Kirk, fell 19 stories yesterday and survived.  

In the story and video on CBS Boston, Animal Rescue League veterinarian Hugh Davis explained that studies have shown cats actually have a better chance of surviving if they fall from a height above 9 stories.  "The cats were able to relax, orient themselves in a flying squirrel position with the legs spread out. It slowed their descent down,” he said.  

Sugar's relative safety -- she sustained only "minor bruising on the lungs, but no broken bones, no cuts, and no serious injuries" -- may be more evidence of that. 

In the meantime, Kirk has put in a request with her building management to install a screen on that window.