Cat survives after being thrown from 12th-floor balcony of Minneapolis apartment building

A cat that was thrown from the 12th-floor balcony of a Minneapolis apartment building has survived after a series of surgeries, an animal sanctuary said.

Rue is a “brave and resilient” 20-year-old tabby and white cat who is recovering from multiple broken bones and other injuries sustained in her June 24 fall, according to Lisa LaVerdiere, whose nonprofit animal sanctuary Home for Life in Stillwater is caring for the feline.

“It appears she will overcome the cruelty with which she was treated, thrown over a balcony with no regard for her life,” LaVerdiere, the sanctuary’s executive director, wrote in a news release Tuesday, which includes instructions on how to help fund Rue’s recovery and the care of other animals housed by the nonprofit.

Rue, named after the French word for street, landed on the sidewalk in front of the Parkview Apartments in the 1200 block of 12th Avenue North, according to a police report, which classifies the case as closed and does not name any person believed responsible.

Nasteho Abdi, who lives on the eighth floor of the building, said she and her sister came across the injured cat and notified Minneapolis Animal Control.

“There were a lot of kids playing outside, and one of them said, ‘Yes, we saw the cat fall,’” Abdi said.

Abdi said a woman at the scene said it was her neighbor’s cat, “and they didn’t want it anymore.”

LaVerdiere said Minneapolis Animal Control notified the sanctuary that a child was among several people who saw Rue being dumped.

She said Minneapolis Animal Control took Rue in that day and made arrangements for the sanctuary to take the cat in. She said Rue was set to be euthanized in a few hours.

Rue’s injuries included two broken legs and fractures to her lower jaw, LaVerdiere said. She underwent surgery on her legs that night and was fed through a stomach tube, LaVerdiere said.

Despite her jaw injuries, Rue “still tries to eat canned food, even with her damaged mouth, and even tries to groom herself despite having her legs in casts,” LaVerdiere said.

Rue’s next step will be to have her upper and lower canines bonded together “to hold the jaw in place and allow it to heal,” LaVerdiere said. The procedure will be guided by a human dentist.

“It was really heartbreaking,” Abdi recalled when she first saw the cat in distress. “I’m so happy to hear she’s doing well.”