People were amazed to see it jump from such great heights. A feline’s daring escape from a house under fire reminded many of the myth of nine lives of a cat. In a video going viral, a black cat was seen jumping from the fifth-floor of a building and running away without a scratch!
The animal’s daring leap from the apartment was caught on camera by the Chicago Fire Department, who were recording the exterior of the building as firefighters were extinguishing the blaze inside. It was then when a cat appeared suddenly through billowing smoke from a broken window and took a plunge!
Even though in the video onlookers are heard screaming in fear as the cat fell, the feline seemed quite unbothered. Luckily, it missed the boundary wall and instead landed on all four paws on a patch of grass outside. It quickly bounced once and ran away while passersby gasped.
The department shared it on its social media platform from where it went viral.
Take a look here:
Nine lives for a cat that jumped from fire at 65th and Lowe. Cat hit grass bounced and walked away! pic.twitter.com/LRBsjMta2Z
— Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) May 13, 2021
“It flew. Then landed and went that way,” witness Kaniyah Sims told ABC 7. “Everyone was screaming and then we all were in shock because it landed and did not die.”
The Chicago Fire Department responded about 3 pm to the kitchen fire in the unit in the 6500 block of South Lowe Avenue, department spokesman Larry Langford told Chicago Tribune. Langford told the news outlet that the cat appeared to be calculating its jump before executing it, adding that he has never seen a cat jump from that height.
As the clip went viral across social media platforms, the first responders identified the feline and gave an update. Saying that the now-viral “flying” feline is a pet, named Hennessy, they said it hasn’t returned home. “His owner says he is a house cat that did not go out,” the agency tweeted adding that neighbours are now looking for the cat.
Cat update. Hennessy the flying cat has not returned home yet. Neighbors near 65th and Lowe are out looking for the now famous feline. His owner says he is a house cat that did not go out. We will update if he is located.(Langford)
— Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) May 14, 2021
No injuries were reported after the fire, which was confined to one apartment, AP reported.
The video prompted an array of responses, with some cracking jokes while others were quite surprised.
Look at it fly!! https://t.co/qSpQBa078G
— Nancy Chen (@NancyChenNews) May 14, 2021
WOW! 9 lives… you bet. Cat jump at :28 https://t.co/DSSdZqsLpH
— Kevin Janison (@KevinNews3LV) May 14, 2021
falling into the DMs like https://t.co/3qcIUEri9C pic.twitter.com/ubNuT0lSab
— justin L! cousson (@justincousson) May 15, 2021
I’ve had several cats in my life and seen them do some pretty death defying stunts – but this is beyond anything I’ve seen.
Cat went batman mode.
Just waiting for someone to put R Kelly’s ‘I believe I can fly’, to this. https://t.co/qXOnZd6Bt3— Liam-LLM (@LmeLiam) May 15, 2021
Like… I’ve read that cats are able to do this but I’ve never seen it before. It’s unreal… https://t.co/YVeqq2jQfc
— Dredgen Wolfe (@NyxbornWolf) May 15, 2021
Goddess Bast was the patron goddess of fire fighters, because the Egyptians believed that a cat running through a building on fire would draw the flames out https://t.co/87eOR08H83
— 𓂀 King Kitty 𓂀 (@BuddahCatt) May 15, 2021
Amazing cat. But knowing cats, it might have caused the fire. 😹😻 https://t.co/BGY4v1j00P
— Stray Bipolar Cat 🏳️🌈😸😻👻👽🦖 (@StrayBipolarCat) May 14, 2021
Holy shit! Cat was like i have used 7 of 9 lives. I ain’t wasting one on this sauna bullshit. https://t.co/zXrGtsnElS
— J.J. (@JJsportMO) May 14, 2021
Heading into the weekend like… https://t.co/UM8yEpguj1
— Kenneth Monahan (@Foudroyant) May 14, 2021
New assassin’s creed looking pretty cool https://t.co/pXQk1jJuBR
— ecyrb (@fearamid) May 14, 2021
he looked like he glitched out and was clipping through the grass for half a second, then went along with his day. https://t.co/Lkw7u4rlCW
— graham (@GrahamB47) May 14, 2021
I’m cry laughing at this like the little meow as he jumps and everything https://t.co/fLgCbwg5RN
— sascrotch (@Hobgoblinbottom) May 14, 2021
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