In Chicago, Illinois, a cat jumped out of a fifth-floor window to escape an apartment on fire. The brave puss surprisingly survived the scary leap without a scratch.
On May 13th, 2021, an apartment caught fire in a building in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, as the fire was spreading, onlookers called the emergency services.
The Chicago Fire Department promptly arrived on the scene and started the evacuation of all residents. But while the firefighters were at work, another worrying incident caught their attention.
A firefighter was near the exterior of the burning building when a black cat appeared on the fifth floor. Next, the feline tested the window with its front paws as black smoke spewed from behind.
Then, the cat jumped through the broken glass, shocking bystanders. One of them shouted,
‘Look at the cat!’
Luckily, the animal avoided a nearby wall and landed intact on a grass patch in front of the building. Afterward, the Chicago Fire Department tweeted the nail-biting footage on their page.
Fire department spokesman Larry Langford confirmed that the cat was safe and sound after her frightening experience, saying:
“It went under my car and hid until she felt better after a couple of minutes and came out and tried to scale the wall to get back in,”
NBC Chicago reported that the firefighters succeeded in containing the fire, because the blaze only affected one unit, no one was hurt.
The authorities have disclosed neither the fire’s origin nor the damage’s extent.
The cat didn’t return
News outlets relayed the video capturing the fall, making the cat a star. Soon, the public learned it was a female kitty named Hennessy.
Sadly, Hennessy didn’t return home following her dramatic jump. Despite what one might think after watching the clip, Hennessy’s owner assured the fire department that the cat usually stayed inside and didn’t go outdoors.
Neighbors scored the South Side community, hoping to find the daring black cat.
A feline superpower
A cat’s ability to land on its feet is called the cat-righting reflex.
If a cat loses its balance and falls, it can land gently. Interesting phenomena and feline-specific quality, the “cat righting reflex,” can only be found in felines. A jumping cat can use this automatic reflex to position himself mid-drop so that it lands on its feet without injury.
According to Be Chewy, This reaction is present in all cats, big or small, wild or domesticated.