AN ANIMAL welfare charity are warning cat owners of the dangers of open windows.

A cat rehomed by Blue Cross in Southampton is a stark reminder of the dangers of open windows and balconies as new research by Blue Cross finds many owners remain unaware of the dangers they pose to our beloved pets.

Arabella was just five-months-old when she fell from a third floor window, resulting in such severe fractures to her front leg that vets at the pet charity’s animal hospital in London were forced to amputate it before she was rehomed to owners Tony and Caroline Davidson-Brewer of Salisbury.

She is just one of many cats the charity treats every year at its animal hospitals across the country as many owners still seem unaware of the dangers open windows and balconies pose to their pets.

Young cats are particularly at risk as they explore open windows and balconies for the first time, excited by the smells and sounds of the great outdoors below.

A survey of 1,300 pet owners for Blue Cross revealed 57 per cent are unaware of the life threatening dangers open windows and balcony doors pose to animals, while 51 per cent still believe the myth that a cat’s ability to land on their feet would save them in a fall.

Last year Blue Cross’s animal hospital in Victoria, London, treated more than 45 reported cases of cats falling from height. This year they have already treated 17.

Caroline Reay, Senior Vet at Blue Cross, said: “It is a dangerous myth to think that cats will always fall on all four paws, which implies an open window or balcony doesn’t pose a threat.

“Arabella is lucky to be alive after her fall. We see so many cats like her at our hospitals every year with shattered bones and internal injuries and sadly these can prove fatal.

“With the hot and humid summer weather, please don’t leave windows or balcony doors open. If you’ve got a cat, don’t leave a gap.”

The charity advises owners put up screens and netting at windows to prevent inquisitive pets falling from windows and to keep balcony doors closed.