Scraps & Treats
High-rise syndrome on the rise
As warmer weather approaches, more and more Midwesterners throw their windows open to let in the spring sunshine, but that doesn’t mean they should let their cats get out. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, unscreened windows pose a danger to felines, who fall out of them so often that the veterinary profession has a name for the problem—high-rise syndrome. “Feline high-rise syndrome is a collection of traumatic injuries suffered by cats that fall from substantial heights, usually from highrise buildings in large urban areas,” says Dr. Colleen Currigan, DVM of the Cat Hospital of Chicago. Fortunately, Currigan says, her practice only sees one or two cases a year. There are many ways to keep your feline friend safe. “Make sure there are screens on all windows, and make sure they are secured in tightly,” she says. “Do not let cats out onto decks or porches at substantial heights,” and most importantly, “Do not think that because a cat has fallen out once that he or she has ‘learned his lesson.’ Cats have very strong hunting instincts and I have seen cats that have been high-rise victims on more than one occasion.”
Orange you going to help the animals?
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals wants you to go orange. On April 10, the oldest animal-welfare organization in the United States is turning 140 and it’s asking Americans to help it celebrate. As part of the festivities, skyscrapers in the group’s hometown of Manhattan (including the Empire State Building) will be lighting up orange—the official color of the ASPCA. Other big cities, including Chicago and Los Angeles, will be going orange as well. But the ASPCA also offers a number of ways for people to show their support on a local level. Suggestions include asking your local pet store to go orange and offer discounts on April 10, getting an “orange” thumb and planting an orange garden in your yard for the animals, organizing a wear-orange-for-the-animals day at school, and having a benefit for your local animal shelter by organizing a bake sale with orange cookies and cupcakes. For other ideas on how to go orange, please visit www.ASPCA.org.
