Chris Burton heard a strange noise while sleeping one night. It made him jump out of bed immediately!
Burton’s cat, named Reggie, likes to jump from a window in the second story bedroom to the detached garage a few feet away. This fearless cat usually makes the jump without a problem. However, that night, Burton heard the cat struggle to land safely.
“It was about 6 a.m., and I was in bed with my window open when I hear him slipping on the windowsill, followed by a very cartoon Road Runner-esque fading meow,” Burton explained.
Burton rushed Reggie to the vet. Thankfully, the fall did not hurt this feline!
However, it raised concern that something had to be done. Burton and his girlfriend couldn’t risk Reggie getting hurt. Reggie likes to take this shortcut from the bedroom to garage. Burton said, “I think he likes being up high, where he can get a good view over everywhere.” It’s not likely Reggie will stop after one fall!
However, Reggie is already nine-years-old. He won’t have a spring in his step forever! His owner decided to act quickly to protect his feline.
Bridge To Safety
“I realized if he fell again he might not be so lucky, so a bridge was the only option!” Burton said.
Burton went above and beyond and designed a cat-sized bridge that spanned from the windowsill on the second floor to the garage roof. He even went so far as to design it after the Golden Gate Bridge, despite never seeing it in person before.
The Golden Gate Bridge was not an easy feat back in its day, and a cat-sized version would not be much simpler. However, Burton was not daunted! He would do what he needed to for Reggie.
Burton began with just a few planks of wood, which were sanded down and cut to size. He glued in footholds and then tested a drawbridge attachment.
Once he was certain the bridge was stable, he screwed in the beams on either side of the plank. He laced string to mimic the cables seen on the famous bridge too!
You can even watch the whole construction process, thanks to Burton’s girlfriend for filming it.
Burton thinks that Reggie knew this bridge was for him. Reggie constantly sat on bits of wood and tried to help or just get in the way. 
Burton gave the bridge generous coatings of paint, and then it was finally fastened into place!
However, Reggie continued to make the big leap—he had no interest in the bridge!
“I think he knew that I wanted him to use it, and so like all cats, he did exactly the opposite and ignored it completely for a couple of days,” Burton said.
Finally, they decided to bribe Reggie with treats. They placed bits of food along the bridge, and soon he took to using it. Now Reggie can safely cross and view the world at leisure!
