61 cases of cats and dogs allegedly falling from height from Sept 1, 2024 to Aug 31: NParks

“Very often, owners didn’t think it would happen or didn’t expect it to happen, so therefore, it is very important for owners to be aware of the high-rise syndrome, especially for cats.”

High-rise syndrome is used to describe incidents in which pets fall from height and can result in serious injuries such as broken bones and internal injuries.

Depending on the cases, actions taken against the owners may include issuing advisories, warning letters, fines or prosecution. So far, no owner has been prosecuted or issued composition fines.

For example, an injured pet cat was found at a void deck in Yishun in April 2025 and later died from its injuries.

NParks found that the cat had likely fallen from a residential unit on the 7th storey from unmeshed kitchen windows, although the cat owner had installed mesh on some of the windows in the living room.

The owner was issued a warning letter.

In June 2025, a pet dog was found dead at the ground level of an apartment in Marine Parade. NParks found that the dog had likely fallen from a third-floor unit, where its owner had left it alone with the living room window open.

It was concluded that the dog had likely stepped onto a sofa next to the open window and fell. The owner was also issued a warning letter.

For these high-rise syndrome incidents, many pets do not survive, said Singapore Veterinary Association’s president Teo Boon Han.

“The injuries can be catastrophic and visually shocking. While cats have a righting reflex that allows them to twist midair and land on their feet, the impact from a fall can still cause severe or fatal injuries,” he said.

He also corrected a misconception that cats can safely survive a fall. “While cats can right themselves, that doesn’t mean they are unharmed — the forces involved in a multi-storey fall can cause massive trauma and lifelong injuries,” he said.

Dogs are also at risk from falling from height if they are kept in premises that are not properly secured.

While falls among dogs are less common, they are usually more catastrophic as they are heavier, less agile and do not have the same ability to reorient their bodies during a fall, as compared with cats, said Dr Teo, who is also a veterinarian and pet nutritionist at Canopy Veterinary Centre.

In September, a husky was found to be confined to a service balcony of a 35th storey Housing Board unit in Toa Payoh in September and was taken under NParks’ care over unsafe housing conditions and concerns. Investigations are ongoing.

“Neighbours and the public all play an important part as they are eyes and ears so when they spot something like that they should report to us immediately so that we can intervene,” she said.

Members of the public can also report suspected animal welfare cases, including animals falling from heights to NParks.

Earlier in the year, a report by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in January highlighted 134 cases of high-rise syndrome in 2024, involving 141 animals.

Many of these cases could be easily prevented by securing the entryways to a home, such as by installing grilles with closely spaced gaps and/or fully meshing any windows and gates, it had said.