Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to describe injury patterns and severity in cats presented with high-rise syndrome (HRS) in urban environments.
Methods: A prospective descriptive case series was conducted on cats (n = 37) cats presented with HRS complaints at Central Veterinary Hospital (CVH), Dhaka, Bangladesh, between October 5 and November 4, 2023. Clinical examination findings and survey radiographs were used to identify injuries.
Results: Cats fell from the 2nd to 10th floor, and the median height of the fall was 4th floor. The average (standard deviation) age of the cats was 12.32 (9.75) months. Around half of the cats (19/37) were males, and most (36/37) were intact. Among the cats, desi breeds were more common (31/37). The cats commonly sustained multisystem injuries. Limb fractures were observed in almost half (18/37) of the cats, and hindlimb fractures (14/37) were higher. Fracture or luxation of the vertebrae was observed in 9/37 of the cats. Furthermore, soft tissue injury (13/37) and pneumothorax (10/37) were the also common. A weak but statistically significant positive monotonic association was observed between injury severity and height of fall (Spearman’s ρ = 0.33; p = 0.046).
Conclusions: In this study, cats presented with HRS were mostly young and sustained a variety of injuries. The findings indicate that greater fall heights may be associated with increased trauma severity in cats with HRS, although substantial variability exists among individual cases. These results highlight the multifactorial nature of HRS injuries and underscore the importance of thorough clinical and radiographic assessment, as well as preventive measures in high-rise urban settings.

Key words: cats, high-rise syndrome, injuries, Dhaka, Bangladesh