Cat charities are warning owners in high-rise flats to secure windows and balconies as hot weather increases the risk of potentially fatal falls.
Rise in 'high-rise syndrome'
Cats Protection and Blue Cross say cases of "high-rise syndrome" spike during summer months as indoor cats are tempted outside by warmer temperatures. Blue Cross animal hospitals have already treated 33 cats this year for fall injuries.
Alliah Seed's three-month-old kitten Sapphire was "very lucky" to only suffer a fractured toe after falling from a fifth-storey window ledge. "I was totally shocked when she fell, she must have been spooked or something," Ms Seed said.
Advice for owners
Roisin Bolger from Blue Cross warned: "Even from a relatively low storey, cats may break several bones or land somewhere dangerous like a spiked railing."
The charities advise fitting secure netting or screens over windows and balconies. They also recommend not leaving open windows unattended and providing indoor enrichment to keep cats entertained.
Warning amid heatwave
Izzy Hocking from Cats Protection said cats living in flats "do not recognise the risks posed by open windows, doors or balconies." Falls can cause severe injuries including broken limbs, jaw fractures and brain damage.
The warning comes as the UK again faces heatwave conditions.
