• Courtesy VPI
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    FREE-FALL FELINE

    Baxter the cat may have lost one of his nine lives one fateful day in Seattle, but he lived to tell his incredible story. Diana McDougle, her husband and Baxter were displaced to another unit in their building on the 11th floor. Not knowing that the windows had no screens, she opened it to get some fresh air. Baxter was curious about his new sky-high view, but as the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat, and what happened next was a pet parent's worst nightmare. Baxter crawled outside of the window and fell 11 stories to the ground below. When Diana McDougle realized what had happened, she couldn't bear to look out the window to see where her beloved Baxter was. Finally, she did, and saw her seemingly lifeless cat on the ground below. She quickly ran down the stairs to find that her pet was actually still alive. Baxter was rushed to the nearest emergency animal hospital. Although she broke her collarbone and dislocated her sternum, she walked away essentially unscathed. She has made a full recovery since. (VPI)