UK man ends up with 9 broken ribs and a cracked skull — all thanks to his sphynx kitten

In an un-furtunate incident that happened with a 59-year-old man from Leicestershire, UK, a seemingly normal run-in with his pet cat took a catastrophic turn and landed him in hospital for two weeks.

What began as a regular, lazy Sunday for Chris Rowley eventually turned into a harrowing night after a seemingly harmless encounter with his hairless Egyptian sphinx kitten, named Eric Morecambe. On Oct. 23, 2022, Rowley was doing the usual after his partner had left for her night shift when his cat turned playful and latched onto his leg.

As the 59-year-old tried to move out of the way, he unexpectedly slipped down the stairs, causing him to fall and sustain injuries described as “akin to a car crash.” The professional musician, home alone, then had to lie bleeding on the floor with nine broken ribs, a cracked skull, bleeding lungs, and a snapped neck for 14 hours straight before being found by his partner, Jackie Millerchip.

“I normally get home at about 8.30 am, but that day I got held back and I didn’t get back till about 10, and I opened the door and heard him screaming and saw the blood,” she spoke about the horrific incident. (via Mirror)

Since the extent of his injuries was still unknown when Jackie found him, Rowley was first taken to the Leicester Royal Infirmary. However, he was soon transferred to the major trauma unit at Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham, where he was given an epidural for sedation. “They say it will be six to 12 months until I’m back on my feet. I’m on a trial now because of the seizures, I won’t be great for another 12 months, I’d have thought,” Rowley shared.

Speaking about the cat, the couple confirmed that he’s fine and was still trying to play with Rowley while he was injured on the floor for 14 hours. “The cat’s adorable and he’s only young—I don’t take any umbrage to that, it’s just one of them things—it could have happened anyway,” Rowley said. When asked to recall the incident, he shared:

“It [the cat] jumped onto my leg, and I lost my footing. It was just playing. It took a bit of a chunk out of my leg, then I lost my footing and went down 14 stairs and ended up at the bottom…I was pretty much there for the best part of 14 hours; my partner works nights, and it happened from early to late evening, and there was no one else in the house. My phone was dead, and I physically couldn’t get up. It’s the hardest sensation—it’s almost like claustrophobia—you can’t get out, you can’t physically get anywhere or do anything.”

The couple has since set up a GoFundMe page to help Rowley as they struggle through his recovery. You can donate here.