Curious cat Shinji breaks legs in 40ft bird watching fall

PDSA senior vet Duncan Senior says Shinji showed "a lot of fighting spirit."

A curious cat broke two legs when he fell 40ft (12m) from a kitchen window while watching birds, his owner says.

A neighbour of black and white Shinji saw him fall and alerted his owner 21-year-old Hannah Hancock from Clayton, Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Shinji often watches birds from the window and must have somehow pushed the window open to try and chase them, she said.

But he is now back on all four paws with frames securing his legs.

Ms Hancock said when she arrived at the vet with Shinji she was "shocked and hysterical" but thanked the team for saving her pet's life following his third-floor window plunge.

'Strong cat'

PDSA senior vet, Duncan Senior, said it was a complex operation to perform but fortunately quite rare.

"Thankfully we only see a very small number of cats who have been unlucky enough to break two legs at the same time," he said.

Shinji will wear external fixators holding his broken bones in place

"Shinji's x-rays showed clear breaks and his surgery was complex because of where the bone had fractured, but he had a lot of fighting spirit."

"Just 24 hours after the operation he was up on his feet again, albeit with the external fixators holding his broken bones in place.

"He's a very strong cat and he's doing remarkably well."

Shinji's x-rays showed clear breaks in his legs

He is due to have the rods removed in the next few weeks.

Ms Hancock said she was now keeping a much closer eye on him: "Shinji will often make a clicking noise at the birds while watching them through the window and he must have somehow pushed it open to try and chase them and fallen.

"Despite everything that's happened he still likes to watch them but we've ensured the windows are locked and secure now so he can't do it again."