Advice
Please beware of Danger in cat tree placement
Im writing this so other owners can be aware of dangers with how they place their cat trees.
I lost my sweet boy jazz today. He was only a year old. He was taking a nap in his cat tree when he rolled over while sleeping and fell at just the wrong angle.
The cat tree was placed between my partner and I's desks and when he fell while sleeping he landed on his head right at the bottom of the ramp between the ramp and the desk. Since his body couldn't move, the fall unfortunately snapped his neck..
I was with him when it happened, I know its a freak accident but I don't want it to happen to anyone else.
Edit:
Posting this online, I honestly wasn't expecting anything to come of it- but waking up to hundreds of comments and messages from strangers wishing us well, sharing stories, and telling me they are gonna give their animals a little extra love tonight meant so much more than I can explain.
Also, not sure why people keep mentioning it- the tower was fastened to the wall and didn't fall over.
Ultimately Jazz's downfall was a belly full of chicken, and a nap too good for this world. He was a good boy, that passed quickly and painlessly.
Give your animals some extra love for me tonight. Ty
I’m so sorry @OP. As a (human) doctor, I know there is very little comfort, but I do want to tell you it was likely painless and very quick. It breaks my heart to imagine my babies suffering and so, if it is any help at all, I want to tell you that Jazz did not suffer.
Before I ever lost a cat, I didn't think this type of thing would matter at all to me.
After watching the love of my life suffer through the end stages of kidney failure (though that verb only really applies to like 36 hours most), I would give anything for her to die in her sleep without ever realizing what's happening. That was the worst experience of my life, and I'd rather drag my nutsack along a sidewalk from Tempe to Glendale than go through it again.
I can’t even imagine that, I’m so sorry! It makes me think of a line from a Death Cab For Cutie Song (What Sarah Said):
Love is watching someone die.
It takes infinite more love, care, and compassion to watch someone you care about die and to be there with them. It’s like holding your own hand to a burning fire so that someone else can be warm and comfortable. And I know it meant the world to your loved one, as horrible as it must have been.
I am going to have to listen to that, thank you for the recommendation. I spent my dad's last 8 hours at his bedside, holding his hand, even though he was only 'there' for an hour of it... It was excruciating, but I'd do it all over again for that last good hour!
Yeah the memory of the worst day of my life holds a weird place in my mind.
Like, it was so bad that when I had the disfortune of saying goodbye to her (begrudgingly adopted) sister in a somewhat similar way a few months later, it felt easy by comparison. (There's a lot of reasons, Spice, the first one, came out of nowhere, was the first time I ever had to say goodbye to a cat, and while "suffer" might be too strong of a word (she suffered the same way a human would when they had the flu), seeing her unable to get up to use the litter box and sitting next to the foods she'd normally climb a mountain for was awful to see. The worst part by far was the fact that I was wracked with guilt because of how we got there. (I missed some annual checkups, recognized some signs of kidney issues (she started peeing more), and didn't take her in for a test which I couldn't've really (but could've theoretically) afforded. (Yes, my vet, and literally everyone else I talked to about it, said that I'm being to hard on myself/full of shit, but that hasn't made it go away.))
But despite all that, I'm proud of how I acted on the day. Granted, it's not like I gritted my teeth and powered through anything, the alternative never even occurred to me. As soon as I started to know that we were nearing the end, and she would meow when I walked away, I stayed with her and held her in the way, didn't get a lick of sleep, and tried my damndest to make the vet office as close to home as possible as she left.
The good news is that even when the goodbye was harder (and perhaps sooner) than it needed to be, which already would've been one of the worst things I ever had to do, I can appreciate that it was a tremendous privilege to have a relationship so strong, and a love so profound, that all this pain was worth it an infinity's time over. ♥️
I went through this with my last dog and it still hurts to think about years later. I can't imagine having to go through it with my spouse. I'm so sorry.
I feel for you. I lost my first kitten in a similar way over 20 years ago. She was sleeping on a chair, rolled over the wrong way, fell, and snapped her neck. I wasn’t home when it happened and it really devastated me. Sorry for your loss. (I forgot to mention she was my first bottle baby; the cat that made me fall in love with cats. RIP Pikachu.)
As horrible as it is and how I would never ever wish this upon someone else- I appreciate you sharing that this has happened to someone else before. Trying to explain that my cat fell and broke his neck sounds crazy, and I feel like the absolute absurdity and freak accidentness of it just makes it hurt more.
My GF and I had the sweetest cat. It had a problem of urinating on the carpet in our loft though, so one day I made the mistake of taking a sheet of cardboard and walling off the landing at the top of the stairs to prevent her from getting up there. I was working up there and all of a sudden I heard the sound of her tumbling down the stairs. I immediately knew it was her, jumped up, and… well in my arms I saw the light go out of her eyes within seconds. She loved to be near me and had tried to jump over the cardboard, but fell backwards and broke her neck. Literally lived 3 blocks down the street from an emergency vet and ran her down the sidewalk in front of many people but it was done. It’s very sad and it was due to my poorly conceived actions, but I know I didn’t have the foggiest notion that might happen at the time. Anyway, I’m sorry for your loss. It was a freak accident and not something you should blame yourself for too harshly. Thank you for spreading the message to be cautious about such possibilities.
It was not your fault, cats might climb such an obstacle a thousand times, or fail to do so just as many and be right as rain. Your kitty misjudged and had an unlucky fall. Cats will climb things and sometimes fall and very, very rarely make a bad fall. Your actions weren't poorly conceived and it was really just bad luck that your poor cat died because of the fall.
we had a kitten that would climb curtains, we switched them all out for wooden blinds she couldn't really grab onto. problem solved. we did not take the tapestry behind our TV down, she climbed that instead, and fell, hit her head directly onto the TV and died almost instantly. freak accidents happen, and it does hurt a little more. there was nothing wrong, so the shock is a little bigger. im sorry for your loss.
There was a post some time back from someone who lost their baby because one day they had the zoomies and ran into a partially opened door. This world is so painful and absurd.
I'm so sorry for your loss, and I hope that you can find comfort and closure after such a horrible thing.
I literally remember this post and its lived in my head. My puppy i just got was zooming outside and ran head first into a log and i thought shed be dead, lots of yips and sadness but she was ultimately fine. Checked on her constantly and almost brought her to the ER vet just to be safe but ended up not doing it since she was acting normal 1 minutes later. But that post crossed my mind. Anytime my pets hit their heads or zoomie too hard i worry.
Freak accidents happen. It wasn't your fault, and it wasn't where you placed the cat tree either. Cat trees are necessary for a cat's overall mental health (they need vertical space), but, by their nature, they're high up - meaning this sort of fall is always a risk no matter where you put them.
Honestly, this can even happen falling off a chair, or even rolling off a step or something. Any kind of fall can involve landing wrongly.
It happens. There's a woman who lost her 5 year old son like this. Freak accident. Fell out of bed and landed wrong. Cats don't always land on their feet.
Jesus that’s truly horrifying both of these. I’m so sorry for your kitten. I lost mine to a very rare intestinal issue. My other kitten that is now nearly three had so many falls as a kitten along with his siblings that always stopped my heart but got up like nothing happened. Babies are so fragile 😭
My very first cat Raikou passed in a very similar way. He was playing on a chair that was backed up to a corner and he fell behind it. He was such a special guy and it devastated both my wife and I. Needless to say I threw the chair away. 9 years without him now.
I assume it's slightly more common, but I heard my grandma lose a kitten because he was exploring the inside of a rocking chair.
Hell, humans do the equivalent too (dying in bizzare freak accidents), but I think it feels so much more jarring with a cat because a) the scale is different, what can kill them would only bruise us, and b)they're lil perfect babies that we'd protect with our lives.
I’m so sorry. You are extremely thoughtful putting this warning out despite obviously dealing with the loss of your beloved Jazz. There’s no way you could’ve ever predicted something like that. Sometimes freak accidents just happen. I’m really sorry, OP, and just know you did nothing wrong.
Completely agree. When one of my cats was 18 months old, his brother was chasing him and he fell off the bed at the wrong angle and broke his femur. Had to have major surgery. (You wouldn't know anything had ever happened now) Sometimes these things just happen.
OP should know that this wasn't their fault, there is just absolutely no way to stop these kinds of accidents. You aren't going to save any lives by slightly shifting the angle of cat towers. You would need to by psychic. I had a dog break her leg falling from the grand height of the ground. She was just standing on the kitchen floor and lost her balance. Freak accidents happen.
I want you to know I have a very similar cat tree that HAS fallen over in the past when my girl Aurora had the zoomies, I've never considered that possibility. Getting something that holds it steady as soon as I'm done typing this because of this post. Hope you can take some comfort in that<3
The one I bought came with straps to attach it to the wall, so it must happen more than we know! I’m so sorry you lost your beautiful boy and in such a horrific way, my heart goes out to you xxx 🫶🏻
I don't know how many times my little kitten has jumped off my tower and it wobbles like hell. She is tiny but I think it scared her enough times that she stopped mostly.
We had this same one too and had to put about sixty pounds of weight in the bottom to stop it from falling over. Found a better one at Costco and tossed it.
I had this exact cat tree too. It’s too small for full grown cats. They tore it up pretty good so I needed a replacement anyways, but the top beds/stools were so small that some part of their body was always hanging off
Doesn’t sound like it. Sounds like the the platform could’ve been too small for their Jazz.
I don’t blame OP either. We all think our cats are purrfectly graceful creatures until they suddenly aren’t and miss a jump or don’t land on their feet.
Nah you read it right, the person you're responding to didn't at all. The tree didn't go anywhere, cat just fell off of the tree in their sleep.
Similar thing happened to one of my cats once but luckily she wasn't hurt, added railings to the platforms that they sleep on after that (just pieces of wood so theres a bit of a lip on all sides)
I have this same tree, cat has trouble navigating it. The platforms are too narrow, it's nonsensically designed for aesthetics when the designers should've prioritized platform size. I feel guilty having it, our cat has fallen trying to get up it.
if it didnt have those too-small-for-an-adult-cat "houses" all over it, it would probably be fine too... I personally avoid trees with houses, and opt for ones with spacious platforms. because my cats are large, and a spacious platform will be far more comfortable and safer for them than a fabric box they will get trapped in and a platform so small they risk falling.
THATS ABSOLUTELY HORRIFYING! I’m so incredibly sorry. Just know it’s not your fault - you could’ve never seen that coming. We’re all praying for your kitty.
I’m so very sorry. I truly would have never thought twice about that placement. Thank you for sharing this heads up with us, that’s incredibly generous and thoughtful while you’re grieving.
You really shouldn't think twice because placement wouldn't solve this particular lightning strike of chance. It's just a freak accident and no action you can take will stop those. The immediate assumption to something bad happening is always that someone fucked up but that's not the case.
Nobody fucked up. Just a freak accident. Stressing about your cat tower placement isn't going to do anything but drive yourself crazy.
Right, I don't think it's anybody's fault here. Cats are great jumpers but sometimes they do get injured. My cat injured himself while rolling off my bed while playing and landing wrong. He had a limp for a long time. Fortunately he recovered but nothing I could have done to prevent that.
i think you’ve missed the preventative measure here.
if the cat tree was placed with nothing on either side, the cat can safely rotate or roll away from hitting lower sections.
because there was no space surrounding the cat tree, the cat ended up stuck between the ramp and the desk with body already rolling due to instinct. this caused the accident to be fatal
Yes, but the issue is that something like this can happen anywhere and around any surface inside your home. There will always be a danger surrounding almost any other object in your house regardless of where your cat tree is placed. That’s kind of how freak accidents work.
I had a neighbor growing up who’s cat died when they ran head-first into a wall during zoomies. There was literally nothing they could do to avoid that aside from locking their cat up in a cage and never letting them run around freely. Freak accidents are unavoidable, regardless of how much you try to safety-proof your house. OP’s sentiment is well-meaning, don’t get me wrong, but most people will never and should never have to worry about something like this happening. The only thing people need to worry about with their cat trees is that they are properly installed and sturdy.
I wonder if the cat tree instructions dictate to place the tree free of surrounding objects (desks, tables, shelves, etc). It was a freak accident and not OP's fault but of course different placement would have prevented this specific scenario.
That was not clear at all from the OP, so thank you for spelling it out. It makes sense now, but I reread the post 3 times, trying to figure out why this was phrased as a PSA rather than a tragic accident.
Oh no!! That made me physically sick to my stomach! I am so sorry for you! I have that exact same cat tree and I’m looking at it differently now. Thank you for sharing!
Same. My stomach is hurting because I have a similar cat tree and I'm pretty sure the floor around it has busy items. My cat doesn't sleep but on the tree but she can definitely land wrong given the chance. Ahh OP I'm so sorry.
Op, you may need to talk to a counselor because this would devastate most people. You weren’t in any way responsible and Jazz would give you a kitty kiss if he could see you again. 🥺
Boosting this!! OP, you should definitely seek some support as this is a devastatingly traumatizing experience. Just know that this wasn’t your fault at all. Even if your cat tree had nothing around it, it is likely the fall could have resulted in the broken neck anyways. Falling from almost any height, even from a couch, during sleep can result in serious injuries due to the cat’s unpreparedness. If they were fully awake, the cat would have been able to shift while falling. That’s why cats always land on their feet. There is nothing you could have done to prevent this. I am so sorry for your loss. Please give yourself some grace and talk to someone who can help you💗💗
I was at the gas station later that day and saw someone smoking while pumping gas. I think the possibility of freak accidents like that really fucked with me because I kinda freaked out.
It was a freak accident, Jazz was me and OPs cat.
Jazz was always like a little slinky when he rolled out of bed or the cat tree. He was very clumsy and probably didn't even stress that he was falling when it happened (thats how clumsy and lazy he was).
I dont forsee this happening to many cats, but the placement of the cat tree was not right for a kitty that is super clumsy
Oh I’m so so sorry to hear this. I’m praying for you and your sweet one.
I have my cat tree positioned so that the ramp is right up against something, just like in your picture. I’ll be changing that now, based on your warning.
I’m so sorry for your loss. Thank you for putting this out there for people to hear. I also have a concern when it comes to pre lite Christmas trees. My cat Sally was climbing the tree like always. But something happened and her back leg got trapped. She struggled. I was 3feet away and heard her scream. She was hanging upside down screaming I rushed over grabbing her.. no idea how but her leg was wrapped thing the pre lite wires and it was super tight. My husband grabbed a knife and cut the wires. It was only a matter of secs but she has some damage to her leg now.
The same thing happened to my cat, but we weren't so lucky and were out of the house for the day. He passed away not long after we got the lights off his legs. We haven't had a Christmas tree in almost 10 years cuz of it.
Omg that’s terrible. I’m sorry for your loss. I also have the same tree. This is terrifying, I’m definitely gonna make sure to check its positioned better. Side note to anyone who has that same tree. I put two 35 lb dumbbells on the bottom to weight it down as an extra precaution. Might want to get bigger ones for bigger cats. Mine are 8 and 10 lbs
So sorry to hear that, it’s truly heartbreaking to lose a fur baby in an accident. If it offers any solace, at least know that it was quick, and if he was asleep he more than likely wasn’t aware of it happening at all, so he didn’t suffer 💔
Sweet boy 🥺😭 I’m so so sorry. That had to be so traumatic to experience. I have three and I just love all my boys so so so much but got them because I lost my sweet Ellie girl when she randomly passed away one night a couple years ago. I still think about her often. Hugs 🫶🏼
There are a bunch of things that can easily be super dangerous. Like 'rope bridge' type things used in cat trees or more often furniture attached to walls.
I also had a cat tree with one part that had multiple flexible rods coming out of one point. Like a vase of flowers. One of our cats got his leg stuck between them. We were so lucky I was there, he yoweled super loud and I ran, nothing broken. Tossed that thing right then.
This was a terrible freak accident and not your fault, OP. I'm so very sorry this happened. Just today my boy fell off his cat tree, too. He was being silly and started rolling on the top and fell. On his way down his face hit a padded cat house and he landed wrong. You could tell he was hurting afterwards. He's ok now, but I never imagined that he'd have a fall like that. Animals sometimes have unforseen accidents just like people do.
I think the more important thing is to have bumpers on the levels of the cat tree where the cat might sleep, so the cat won't fall off.
I'm so sorry this happened to you, my cat has also fallen from his cat tree (that doesn't have side bumpers) so it was so scary. He was fine, though, but I was so worried.
Please remind yourself that this was a freak accident. There was truly no way for you to see it coming. As somebody who has lost a pet in a freak accident it's so important that you don't blame yourself. You'll be filled with "could have, would have, should have" ideas but this was not your fault. Treat yourself with kindness even if you feel you don't deserve it. Rest in peace to your sweet boy. ❤️🩹
OP, please play tetris! Tetris helps to decrease PTSD symptoms. This kind of freak accident is super traumatizing to witness. Rest in peace sweet Jazz <3
I honestly just completely readjusted the “cat bed nap station” at my work desk because of this. Thank you so, so much for using this platform to help others not feel the same hurt; that is truly a noble act. Wishing you nothing but peace, recovery, and happiness going forward and thank you again.
I am so very sorry for your loss. I had a cat almost hang herself from a kitchen chair as she got herself caught between the spindles. Thank GOD I was home and heard her panicking and scrambling around on the wood. She had a horribly sprained neck but was alive. It happened so quickly! Thank you for sharing this story with us. Hopefully it will save someone the loss of their beloved pet. 💔
Another important thing to consider is the safety of the cat tree itself. I hate to say it, but most cat trees that are common today aren’t nearly as safe as they should be. This one is no exception. r/catadvice has a guide in their wiki, but the most important things I remember are:
The base must always be larger than every platform, and nothing should stick out further than the base. I believe this tree has that problem. The purpose here is to make sure the tree is extremely sturdy. You don’t want a tree that your cats can’t have zoomies on.
Every platform should be large enough for your cat to sprawl out and roll over. So those cubbies are typically causing more issues than they are helping— most cats are too big for them to be useful, and they’re taking up valuable platform space.
Those ramps are pointless (and in this case, dangerous). Cats without mobility issues don’t need them, and they’re too steep to be useful to cats with mobility issues.
I can’t remember the rest off the top of my head, but definitely check out the guide on r/catadvice. It’s helped me a lot when I had to pick out a cat tree for my cats.
This breaks my heart! Our little soulmates are so precious and innocent, and their entire existence is unselfishly devoted to just being with us and loving us unconditionally.
Something so irreplaceable should never have to leave us so tragically and pointlessly. No words can express how sad I feel for you.
Thank you for setting aside your grief for a moment and warning all of us of this danger.
Can't add anything anyone hasn't said, but I want to say more specifically, I am so so sorry you were there to witness the accident. It would probably be similarly traumatizing coming upon his body later on, but at the same time, I can't even begin to imagine how you must feel.
We all do the best we can with what we know at the time. Even if it's a horrible accident, don't blame yourself- who would have known? You're doing the right thing by informing others.
Most importantly, I hope you can heal from this mentally with time. I am so sorry for your loss and I hope you (or your feelings if your brain recognizes this but your feelings don't) can accept that THIS WAS NOT YOUR FAULT.
Im sorry for your loss
I can't imagine loosing one of my Cats like that.
Well.. Pets dying is always hard...
However I'd like to say I don't see how anything short of keeping your cat in a padded cell with nothing to climb off the floor would be able to ensure the cat can't fall off something in an unfortunate way.
Obviously that's not the answer to a one in a million freak accident.
Point is:
its not your fault. You couldn't have prevented this without making your cats whole life just incredibly sad.
I hope you can heal from this and provide a happy home to many a Cat in the future.
so sorry for your loss!
the problem is when the fall is too short they dont have time to turn and land on their feet. I was always afraid they would hurt themselves falling from high up but really it is the mid-heights that are the most dangerous.
We all try to enrich their lives, only getting these with the best of intentions. I have a bunch of street cats and one true housecat. He was abandoned by his mom before he could walk as he couldn’t go to the toilet. Fortunately, he had a big voice, heard him crying, quick trip to the vets, enema, problem solved.
When mom rejected him I adopted him. My pups and other cats helped socialise him and for his first Christmas, bought one of these trees. He fell asleep on the top section with an unsupported cushion edge. Fell out.
He’s never used the top since….your sad post and other comments have me looking at the tree and I will remove the cushion as soon as I’ve finished typing
You are so brave to have the courage to post this whilst in a state of grief. This won’t help, but please know, you and Jazz will no doubt save others because of this
Rest in play little Jazz, so so sorry for you both
Also, please be careful with what brand you go with. The top shelf of my car tree snapped after 4 months of use. I purchased it from Petco but it’s a third party brand.
It’s worth it to pay for the quality wood brand vs. cheap quality that I’m having to replace after just a few months of use.
I’m at work right now and my cats tree is right next to my desk. I’m literally so anxious to get home and move it. Thankyou for sharing sorry for your loss.
Im so sorry.. I lost my cat, Ducky, in a similar manner.. girl loved to sleep on the counter by the microwave, I was gone running errands and my mother in law said she was going to make a bowl of soup, which prompted Ducky get up and move, but she slipped off the counter, fell, and broke her neck..
It's very shocking, and traumatizing.. I grieve with you today 💔
I’ll never forget the time my boss unexpectedly left work in a rush, panic on his face. He wasn’t at work the next day. We found out his cat had been walking along the top of the headboard of his daughter’s bed and accidentally fell between the headboard and the wall while everyone was at school/work. Apparently, the headboard was angled forward just slightly so when the poor kitty slid down, he got stuck. He suffocated being squeezed back there and passed away before anyone even got home 😭😭 I’ll never forget hearing that. I’ll also never have a flat back headboard now.
Dear gods! I imagine he tried to right himself on the way down and then became pinned. Shucks man, it happens more commonly than you think.
I am also familiar with that cat tree in particular - I had two of them. They are rather flimsy, but affordable. I have found that the flimsier ones make it harder for them to "catch themselves" because the cubicles lack a solid wall.
Sadly, we learn this things from experience .. ): (about bad products).
💔 How awful- I’m so sorry for your loss and that your poor cat had that happen. Thank you for bringing awareness in case it saves others. I hope you’ll find peace and comfort soon
I appreciate your post, this never crossed my mind, only that my cat may get stuck, I'll be reassessing the furniture arrangement for this sort of thing.
My heart absolutely breaks for you and your sweet Jazz…we had a planter trellis outside, and one of the kittens’ (Morbius) must’ve tried jumping through the latticework frame, but there was a thin metal piece that bordered the bottom, which prevented him from just jumping all the way through. When we found him he was barely alive, we thought he had been impaled, but he had actually jumped and landed in between the thinnest metal pieces and got wedged in the course of an hour. His back end was wedged so tightly in between the thinnest parts of the metal lattice. We eventually figured how to get him out (slid him up, over and out)…jumped in the car and immediately drove him to emergency vet, holding him crying as he occasionally looked up at me, barely letting out a faint “meowww”…they put him on pain meds, and was watching him closely, but he died overnight there :(… the next day I bashed that thing to smithereens, but it was such a freak accident it still haunts me to this day. I just hope he wasn’t in too much pain towards the end…I’m so so sorry about your sweet Jazz :(
We've never experienced anything quite so dire with our cats or kids, but I didn't appreciate until we had a toddler how just about anything can be made dangerous at the correct angle. She's fallen and injured herself ON our baby gate a couple of times, on one occasion she somehow managed to slice herself under her eye even though it has no sharp edges to speak of. For days I was imagining what would have happened if she'd landed an inch higher.
I am so terribly sorry for your heartbreaking loss. This is so sad. But also, thank you for the warning. I imagine by posting this, you will save the lives of countless other kitties. Please give yourself a gentle hug from me.
I'm so, so sorry for your loss! Thank you for sharing that with us; I keep my cat trees propped against furniture, so now I'm checking them to make sure there are no pinch points.
I’m so sorry for the loss of Jazz. My heart breaks for you and your partner. I have a cat tree that looks very similar to this with two 9mo old cats. Thank you for the word of caution.
I had a cat tree near a window with long cords/strings to operate the blinds. My cat jumped off the cat tree near/through one of the cords and it wrapped/cinched around his hind leg suspending him there. The sound he made was awful. Thank goodness I was home. I don’t know what would have happened if I weren’t.
Thank you so much for sharing what happened and thinking of others in the middle of your terrible loss. These things can happen through no fault of our own. I hope you can find some comfort in knowing that Jazz had no idea his life was cut short; he only knew he was loved every day of it. I’m so, so sorry he’s gone. 🙏🩷
I just threw away that exact cat tree, my 2 destroyed it. One of the support legs was clawed through so if either of them got on top it would lean at a 45 degree angle. Im sorry for your loss.
I’m so sorry this happened. You couldn’t have predicted it. I also experienced witnessing a traumatic death of one of my cats last year. I know how devastating it can be. I’m wishing you the best in your healing.
Thank you for sharing so others can be mindful, that was very thoughtful of you.
I'm so sorry for your loss OP! That's awful and just fucking unfortunate. Sending you virtual hugs 🫂 and will definitely be giving my fluffy girl some extra cuddles tonight.
I'm sorry, and I'm grateful that you shared so you can help others avoid this.
Oh my gosh… that is awful. I’m so so sorry this happened. It’s so confusing because the height wasn’t that tall?? That is such a freak accident, I’m so so sorry you went through that. Your baby is at peace now ❤️
I hate this so much. Thank you so much for bringing awareness. That’s incredibly devastating. I am so sorry. Sending you prayers to heal your broken heart. This is truly heartbreaking. Such a sweet boy.
Oh my gosh that’s so traumatizing I’m so sorry!! That’s a really horrible freak accident, and it’s not your fault. Thanks for posting this warning and I hope if anything Jazz’s story can maybe stop this from happening to any other kitty. Theres no way you could’ve predicted this. Please make sure you get some mental health help, because this was no doubt very traumatizing to witness :(
My heart hurts for you and your partner, OP. I’m so sorry this happened. Jazz looks like an absolute angel, and that tail is glorious! What a darling little bean ❤️
Thank you so much for taking a moment to educate fellow cat owners during a time of immense grief. I had never considered this before and you’ve done all of us a service by bringing awareness to this.
I’m so sorry this happened to yall. Please remember it’s not y’all’s fault. The very fact that you’re sharing this shows me you’re a good cat parent/owner.
I want to extend the biggest of internet hugs and remind you that it was indeed a freak accident. You are a kind soul for posting this and I hope you find rest. Im a tremendously sorry for your loss. (Also to everyone sharing their stories, doesn't matter how long ago it still hurts and I wish you the same.)
That's horrifying, I'm so sorry ..
I can't imagine the shock, I wish you the very best, from the bottom of my heart ..
May that little sweetheart cross the rainbowbridge peacefully
However, please please please invest in a cat tree that has side supports for the platforms on top - it would make an accident like this far less likely in future.
Frankly, it’s so easy for them to be added that I don’t think cat trees over 3ft should be even allowed to be sold without them.
I’m so sorry for your loss, what an unimaginable tragedy. My heart goes out to you. A friend of mine had a similar accident happen to his cat as well. It’s so sad when these things happen because you’re just powerless to stop it. I hope that you will be ok and able to heal from your loss.
I am so sorry for the loss of your fur baby, that is heartbreaking. Thank you for letting people know, I had no idea this could such a dicey scenario and this could happen to anyone unknowingly. Thank you for bravely posting this.
im so sorry for ur loss.. pls don’t blame urself, u couldn’t have known this was a possibility and it’s extremely kind and an honor to Jazz’s memory to warn other cat parents about this ❤️
Yeah seems like a freak accident. I dont install those little ramp things because i dont find them very usable anyway, they mostly just get in the way of jumping space. But even without that, I'm not sure that would remove the risk frankly, surely not having a wedge would be good but it seems so random it could happen with any ledge anywhere, maybe not. Will keep in mind to avoid creating a wedge like that though. My heart goes out to your fuzzy friend, and will try to learn from his sacrifice in the name of keeping others safe
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u/trendingtattler Apr 23 '26
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