Tax Collector Killed By Falling Cat

The cat fell off the roof of Chifley Towers,pictured here.

Sydney,Australia UPI   – For the last six years, Mrs Maureen Titherton took her 10-year-old tabby cat for a daily walk on the rooftop garden of the building where she lives. The gardens of Chifley Tower provided a restful and secure place for Mr Whiskers to enjoy his morning walk in the middle of busy Sydney. Last Thursday Mrs.Titherton watched in horror as the 16 pound feline leapt off the rooftop ledge and plummeted over 150 meters to the street below.

“He jumped right off the edge for no apparent reason,” she cried. “I screamed. I was devastated. Once I regained my composure I took the elevator down to collect his body. I was sure he was dead.”

When she arrived at the street level, she found a group of people had gathered on the sidewalk but they weren’t looking at a the body of a cat rather they were looking at the body of a man.

“I was crying,” said Mrs Titherton. “Then I saw my baby boy, sitting on the curb watching the cars go by, I couldn’t believe it. He’d just fallen off a building and there he is washing his face like nothing had happened!”

Sydney veterinarian Dr John Beek said that Mr Whiskers flabby skin probably acted like the wings of a flying squirrel allowing him to slow his decent.

Police speculate that cat, who had recently lost 14 pounds, had very loose skin a result of the weight loss and the loose folds of skin may have acted like wings, something similar the skin folds found between the legs of flying squirrels.

In addition to that ,Mr Whiskers was lucky enough to land on top of a passerby ,namely one Mr Rodger Pinkley and in doing so dented his hat and killed him instantly. Pinkly, 42 of Glebe, was employed as a collector at the Tax Department. Police say he took the brunt of the force that certainly would have killed the falling feline.

When asked about how she felt about the death of the tax collector Mrs Titherton said “It was a very small price to save Mr Whiskers and between you and me…Mr Whiskers never cared for tax collectors. A dreadful bunch.”