Animal protection entities have, for some people, “the bad reputation” of being very demanding with the conditions they impose on their adopters. “It’s just normal that you have so many animals” or “That being the case, how do you want people to adopt?” are typical expressions that some people interested in giving a home to an animal emit when they are told about some of the conditions that they have to meet.
It is not a matter of giving many animals up for adoption. It is a matter of minimizing that the animals that are adopted are returned or suffer a health problem or accident. For this reason, the families have to fill out a questionnaire, they will be interviewed in person, their home will be visited, they will be followed up, it will be verified that they can support it financially, they are given instructions on how to walk their dog safely, He gives them the sterilized animal or with a commitment to do so… The vast majority understand these requirements.
But, perhaps, the one that causes the greatest astonishment is when we want to adopt a cat, and one of the “sine qua non” conditions is that we have to put protections on the windows and terraces of the house. Unless you already know of the imminent risks this poses (usually because you have had a cat that has fallen in the street or you have adopted a cat with this condition before), start the typical speech: “I really have to do ” reform” at home to adopt a cat?”, “But if cats are very agile and do not fall”, “I have always had a cat and it has never fallen in the street”…
Really… There is nothing more that a protector wishes for one of her animals to find the warmth of a home . A family that loves you, but also protects you from the most common risks . And of course there are a thousand alleged accidents that can happen to even the most cautious of adopters. But it is that, the fall of cats from their homes when rushing through a window or terrace, is something that happens frequently.
Any of the professionals who work in a veterinary clinic know that ” falls from heights” occupy the first position of “accidents” (not illness) in terms of cats that live in a home, followed by being run over (in turn , often the result of accidentally falling into the street). They especially multiply with the arrival of heat, coinciding with the fact that windows and terraces remain open longer. It is so frequent that it even has a name in the clinical field: “the parachuting cat syndrome”.
Even the healthiest and strongest cat, even the one with a majestic balance… ANY feline can be careless, that his “feline instinct” makes him pounce on a fly that he has been watching all morning, get scared by an unpredictable noise (such as a firecracker or a honk) or misjudging the jump or slipping when trying to sneak onto your neighbor’s deck.
Another thing that doesn’t help is his “reputation” of always landing on his feet . Yes, cats are such amazing animals that they have the extraordinary ability, called the “righting reflex”, which, even after falling on their back , allows them to make a turning movement to end up with their legs pointing downwards, in a way that allows them to reach stabilized and with the ability to cushion the blow of the impact against the ground.
Amazing! They say they have 7 lives for a reason… But, although this “super feline power” can save their lives on some occasions, most end up with serious injuries: cleft palate, jaw or tooth fractures, limb fractures, diaphragmatic hernias… A what must be added that, in all probability and as long as the impact has not left him unconscious, he will flee and run terrified. A cat that is frightened, in pain and in unknown territory outside of its “protective home” can be very difficult to find . And if he’s injured, he needs urgent veterinary care.
And it’s not that bad either! If our economy allows us, without a doubt, the best option is to have a company specialized in putting protections for cats. There are also ways to install them yourself. Let the protector advise you how to do it and what materials are suitable, they will be happy to advise
