A woman trying to record a YouTube video stopped in her tracks after capturing the moment her cat took a daring leap.
TikTok user @colbyy.yo sat in front of the camera, preparing to film for a YouTube video she was creating. However, her July 15 post of the throwback clip, which reached over 5.8 million views on TikTok, showed her turning around with a confused look on her face as she heard a noise behind her.
The first part of the video shows a black blob falling from the loft in the background, followed by a giant thud on the ground. It turned out to be her cat, Rex. The owner immediately gasped and called Rex’s name once she realized what had happened.
The incident happened in the blink of an eye, which is why she slowed down the moment and added to it the post. Viewers could see more clearly that Rex made the unexpected and horrifying leap from the second floor. The cat’s tail moved around in circles like a helicopter.
She assured viewers that the now 6-year-old cat is 100 percent safe and sound. This incident happened several years ago when Rex was a kitten.
Newsweek reached out to @colbyy.yo via TikTok for additional information.
‘Invaluable Lesson’
People started to worry about Rex’s condition after seeing his paws curled down when she held him. However, she shared in a follow-up video that his paws have always been this way. When she adopted him in 2019, both front legs were broken and reformed in a manner that makes him “army crawl.”
While Rex, luckily, walked away unscathed, not every cat gets that chance. Any time a cat falls from a height, they are at risk of injuring themselves, including broken jaws, teeth and limbs, a vet-approved article from Hepper stated.
A cat’s reflexes can help twist and align its body during a fall, ensuring it experiences as little injury as possible. They also have a vestibular apparatus, a balancing system in their inner ears, helping them determine which direction they face in the air. Their light bones and thick fur can help slow their fall.
“I bet an invaluable lesson was learned on this day,” wrote one viewer, which the owner confirmed he has never done since.
“Not him trying to soften the blow with his helicopter tail,” pointed out another.
A third user said: “The way the helicopter tail has me WHEEZING.”
@colbyy.yo/TikTok
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