'Hennessy The Flying Cat' Makes Fiery 5-Story Jump

CHICAGO, IL — A black cat named Hennessy is down at least one life after it leaped from a burning fifth-floor apartment unit on Thursday afternoon.

The Chicago Fire Department responded to a call of a kitchen fire in the South Side neighborhood of Englewood at about 3 p.m. The fire had not spread because the building is concrete, and the occupant made it out before the flames engulfed the apartment. Firefighters tried to get to the cat, but it ran into the flames before they could reach it, according to department spokesman Larry Langford.

First responders put out the fire within 15 minutes, but "Hennessy the flying cat," as he's been dubbed by the Chicago Fire Department, had to get out sooner than that. The video shows black smoke pouring out of the fifth-floor windows as Langford, who filmed the heroic jump, prepared to switch the video off in anticipation of a splat.

Suddenly the cat jumped from the window, hind legs first, toward the ground below. The pet nearly hit a wall below but landed on its feet before strolling away. Some onlookers screamed when the cat was midair before letting out a sigh of relief in unison.

Langford said the cat went straight back toward the entrance of the building, presumably looking for its owner.

Langford discovered the cat's name was Hennessy on Friday afternoon when the owner reported it was still missing.

After the viral video showed his death-defying leap from the building at 65th Street and South Lowe Avenue, Englewood neighbors are helping search for the cat. Hennessy's owner said he is a house cat that never goes outside.

CFD officials said they will share an update if Hennessy is located.

The American Veterinary Medical Association said in a study that cats can safely jump from a maximum height of five and a half stories. Surprisingly, shorter jumps have a higher chance of injuring the animal because cats need time to twist their body into the best shape to slow their fall.