Mr. Chat, Paralyzed in a Fall, Has a Happy and Playful Life

Originally published on 29 March 2017 and republished as a tribute to Mr Chat who sadly passed away on 11 June 2018.

Mr. Chat's story begins with a literal fall from grace. Back when he was a kitten, this dapper looking tabby tumbled from a fourth floor window in the building where he lived -- but despite losing the ability to use his back legs, he's now all about showing that cats can live with disabilities and be happy too.

"When he fell from the fourth floor, his first owner took him to the vet and asked for him to be euthanized," says Mr. Chat's new human.

Luckily, the vet refused the request and instead asked his first owner to yield the cat to his care.

At that point, his new human came into the picture: "When I saw him, I just wanted to cry -- and I fell in love with him."

When it comes to the specifics of Mr. Chat's fall, it doesn't seem that he was pushed.

"I think he overbalanced, maybe because of a bird," says his human. "He's very playful."

Nevertheless, once Mr. Chat landed, he suffered a crushed vertebrae that means his back legs are effectively "dead" and can move only via reflex on rare occasions.

"His injuries were very bad, and he'll never walk normally again," says his human. (Mr. Chat is also technically incontinent and needs a little gentle assistance when it comes to pooping and peeing.)

Now that he's safely residing in his new home, Mr. Chat's human has noticed that he becomes tired quicker than other cats because of his leg injuries: "He has to make more effort when he wants to go on the couch -- but he's a fighter and he wants to do it alone!"

Access to the mezzanine level of Mr. Chat's abode has also been modified with a cardboard door to make it easier for him to strut around up there. As his human says, "Sometimes I think that he doesn't know about his condition."

When he's not living up to his reputation as a "cuddle addict," you can find Mr. Chat posting his adventures to his Facebook page and advocating for the cause of special-needs cats. As his human says, if this cat could tell the world a message, it would be:

"To all of you reading this, please be careful of your windows -- you have to secure all of them for your cats!

"And if you have an accident because of a window, don't think first of euthanasia -- we can live with disabilities and be happy too. Just look at me!"

Check out more of Mr. Chat on his Facebook page.