Cat falls 19 stories, only minor injuries

BOSTON, March 22 (UPI) -- A Boston woman said it was a "miracle" when her cat survived a 19-story fall without any serious injuries.

Brittany Kirk said her cat, Sugar, plummeted from the window of her 19th floor apartment on Storrow Drive and veterinarians with the local Animal Rescue League said the feline incurred only minor bruising to her lungs, WBZ-TV, Boston, reported Thursday.

"I'm just so thankful. When I came home from work today and I saw her, I was just very thankful. It's a miracle," Kirk said.

Brian O'Connor, a manager with the Animal Rescue League, said Sugar fell an estimated 150 to 200 feet. He said studies have shown cats have a greater chance of survival when they fall from higher than nine stories.

"The cats were able to relax, orient themselves in a flying squirrel position with the legs spread out. It slowed their descent down," O'Connor said.

Kirk said she is having screens installed on her windows to prevent future falls.