When a building ignited in East Harlem, New York, the main concern was getting all of the residents out of harm’s way. Most terrifying of all was a video of an orange cat who hung out of a window, unsure of whether to jump or not, while the fire ripped through the building behind him.
Apparently, the fire had been caused by a man who was wanted on domestic violence charges. He had breached his restraining order and broken into his ex partner’s flat, where he then barricaded himself in a room and set the place on fire.
Luckily, the resident was out at the time – but the same couldn’t be said for the orange cat.
Video footage shows the nerve-wracking moment before the cat makes the jump. You can tell that he’s absolutely terrified, and he hesitates between going back into the building and making his leap.
The people on the ground are becoming more frantic as the cat makes his decision. There are a handful of police officers holding their arms out in an attempt to catch the cat, and onlookers yell up to the cat to jump.
The fire is blazing with more intensity by the second, and at one point, it even seems as if the cat’s tail has caught fire.
Thankfully, after a couple of agonizing seconds, the cat decides to make the two-story leap out of the building. It’s a long way down, but although he misses the arms of the officers, he pushes himself away from the wall to give himself more of a comfortable landing.
Once on the ground, it’s clear to see that the cat is a little blackened and burned, and definitely more than a little shaken- but it’s a great sign that he’s walking around.
One onlooker was able to scoop the cat up and hand him to an officer, who then turned him over to Animal Control Centers.
A spokesperson there told NBC New York that the cat, who’s been nicknamed ‘Tomcat,’ was ‘in pretty good shape’ even after inhaling smoke.
Amazing video of a cat jumping out of a second floor window in East Harlem Saturday. Police responded to a domestic dispute at Lincoln Houses where they say man locked himself inside apartment & set it on fire. 7 people hurt including 2 cops @NBCNewYork (courtesy Aaron Ganaway) pic.twitter.com/1nLmFnsW0U
— Anjali Hemphill (@AnjaliHemphill) October 25, 2020
People took to the comments of the video – which was posted on YouTube – to express their astonishment over the cat’s brave move.
One man replied: “That’s a crazy video. I love cats. If that cat had nine lives it just used up eight of them.”
Another added: “Such a smart, brave little kitty. A true New Yorker! The cat appears to be a little burnt, but overall quite ok. Still moving around freely, a very positive sign.”
Watch the heart-stopping video for yourself below.
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