Family left with $7,000 vet bill after cat survives 11th-floor plunge

Eva Abdul Khalek is grateful. Her cat Luigi survived a fall from their 11th-floor balcony. The family believes the cat snuck out, likely through the balcony door that was left open.

"My mom heard a noise and she just couldn't find [Luigi] so she was like, 'maybe the noise was him.' So she got a flashlight and she was trying to see downstairs. And she was yelling his name," says Abdul Khalek.

After repeatedly calling for Luigi, he was found in a tree outside their apartment building.

"He was hyperventilating. So his mouth was open [...] he couldn't move. I wrapped him up in a blanket and took him to the urgent hospital. And as soon as we got there, they took him in instantly," Abdul Khalek told CTV.

The two-year-old cat was hospitalized overnight. He suffered broken bones in his lower body and internal bleeding in his lungs and had to undergo surgery.    

The family says that while they are relieved to have him back home, they admit the incident left them with a hefty bill to the tune of over $ 7,000.

"I actually did a GoFundMe [...] so I taped him and also put proof of every bill," the 18-year-old says.

She hopes Luigi's story will serve as a cautionary tale.

"Cats are very, very sneaky. So you can't leave them on their own. For all cat owners, you have to make sure that they don't get out," she added.      

Abdul Khalek also says she'll be keeping a closer eye on Luigi, calling his survival a "miracle."