October 2025 was a rough month for Mission District felines. While the national headlines fed off the death of KitKat — affable tabby, mayor of 16th Street, unwitting martyr to the anti-Waymo cause — my household was dealing with a lower-profile cat emergency just up the street.
In an accident about which I will feel horrendously guilty forever so please don’t tell me I’m a bad cat mom because I already know: Lenny, the smaller and smarter of my two 12-year-old brother cats, fell from our third-floor bay window onto the sidewalk below.
Lenny has been sitting in that windowsill uneventfully, mind you, since he was a kitten, surveilling the neighborhood drunks with the bored authority of a teenage lifeguard. But something must have spooked him the night of Oct. 25, because he fell, and it turns out cats do not always land on their feet. Cats sometimes — especially after falling from buildings between three and seven floors tall — break their legs. It happens so often it’s called “high-rise syndrome.”
In Lenny’s case, the break was so bad we were told the best route forward was to amputate. Cats do amazingly well with three legs, the vet said. I began frequenting a Reddit community called “r/tripawds.” We got a second opinion, then spent an amount of money that I do not wish to think nor talk about on said surgery.
The first unexpected result, after Lenny came home drugged and clumsy, was that his brother turned against him.
L to R: Freddie, Lenny, happier kitten times. (Emma Silvers/COYOTE Media Collective)
Freddie Mercury, Lenny’s littermate, the alpha to his runt, a fluffy white diva who is nearly twice his size, experienced a (still ongoing) bout of what is known as “non-recognition aggression.” Essentially, the smells (and vibes?) that Lenny brought home from the vet caused Freddie to think a strange cat had invaded his abode and should be attacked. I bought cat pheromone diffusers and read Reddit boards where people said things like “try to reintroduce them to each other little by little, it helps if you can restrict them to their own floors of your house.” (Laughs in San Francisco apartment.) Freddie is now on Prozac, but I don’t think it’s working. Dude is bitchy.
The second unexpected thing is that our son became obsessed with Lenny.
Miles, who turned seven last week, has become Lenny’s biggest fan and fiercest protector. Miles aggressively cuddles Lenny essentially every moment that they’re awake, and sometimes also when they’re asleep. Lenny, for his part, is fully healed and agile — he caught a mouse last week?! — as well as impressively tolerant of Miles carrying him around. In fact, Lenny has begun seeking Miles out for attention. We have been late for school because Miles is cuddling with Lenny and does not want to stop.
Truly, I have never seen a child love an animal more. Below are a few thoughts from Miles on the accident and how it changed his relationship with his best friend.
Best friends. (Emma Silvers/COYOTE Media Collective)
Emma: Tell me about Lenny and the accident.
Miles: So, how Lenny broke his leg is he fell out a window one day, but we got really lucky that he didn’t fall into the street and get squished by a car. That happened about seven months ago. And he’s fine now. I think he could go maybe 30 or 35 miles per hour? He’s doing well.
How has your relationship changed?
Well, ever since he broke his leg, I noticed how cute he is. He used to be really shy, so I didn’t get to see him that much. But now, his emotions have kind of changed. He’s not that shy anymore. Like, he’s fine with me picking him up. And I know that some people sleep with their dogs and their pets, and I wanted to start doing that too, because I love Lenny a lot, so now sometimes he sleeps with me and he drools. He’s my guy.
What makes him so cute?
His big eyes. They’re green. You know what I like about cats’ eyes? When it gets dark, they actually widen their eyes so they can see better.
Left: An accurate depiction of Lenny on painkillers. Right: At the library, writing cat facts. (Emma Silvers/COYOTE Media Collective)
How does Freddie figure in here?
Since Lenny came back from the vet, Freddie has been swiping at Lenny, and I don’t like that. So I just run over and I’m like “Get out of here, Freddie!” Their relationship is, I guess, so-so. But I protect Lenny. Like, if there was a big fight with cats and everybody was against Lenny, I would catch all the arrows coming towards Lenny, like I’d just dive in front of them and catch them.
Do you have any advice for other people who want to get closer to their pets?
Just encourage them, and be sure to be quiet when you’re walking towards them so they don’t notice. If you want to pick them up, you can tiptoe, tiptoe, and sneak up on them. [Ed. note: It would seem Miles took this to mean tips on how to get physically closer to your pets. We at COYOTE do not generally condone sneaking up on animals.]
What else do you want people to know about Lenny?
Well, he’s a black-and-white cat. We’ve been friends since I was born, actually. I just love him a lot. And he doesn’t really like salmon.
Emma Silvers is a San Francisco journalist with 15+ years of experience covering the people and policies shaping arts and culture in the Bay. She grew up in Albany and lives in the Mission.
