A man has been left with 'car crash injuries' after tripping over his family's new pet kitten in a freak accident.
Chris Rowley, 59, had been at his home on Sunday 23 October when the hairless Sphynx latched onto his leg.
As he moved out of the way, he tumbled down the stairs, leaving him with devastating injuries including nine broken ribs, a fractured spine and a crack in his skull causing bleed on the brain.
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And if that weren't bad enough, Chris' partner Jackie works nights and didn't return home until around 14 hours later.
When she came back, she found him at the bottom of the stairs with the cat sitting on his chest.
After calling the emergency services, the professional musician from Leicester was rushed to hospital where he was kept for two weeks.
Speaking to the Mirror about the horrific incident, he said: "We have a sphinx, it's like a hairless cat, it's only a baby.
"I can't remember much, just falling fast - it was quick and it was over within seconds, then I was at the bottom."
Chris thinks he was at the foot of the stairs for around 14 hours, adding: "My phone was dead - I couldn't get up, 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 Countesthorpe-based pet owner said the cat was 'just playing' but it 'took a bit of a chunk' out of his leg, causing him to fall down the steps.
"I was massively injured, we're still finding out the extent of the injuries now," he told the outlet.
"I had a fractured skull, a broken bone in the neck, two fractures in the spine, nine broken ribs, and each rib has multiple fractures, and then I had a bit of blood in the lungs.
"We have to go back to the hospital next week to see if they need to put a drain in, to get rid of the blood that's left over. Then it's just a matter of a long recovery.
"The cat's absolutely fine."
Jackie, meanwhile, said that she immediately called 999 after finding her partner, stating: "I've got to say they were here within minutes, they were fantastic."
But she had to leave the room when the paramedics were treating his injuries as the screaming was too horrific to bear.
A GoFundMe has since been set up to help Chris and his family as he is currently unable to work.
The fundraiser, which has received £1,375 of its £1,000 goal, states: "He is on lots of medication which makes him sleep a lot.
"Chris has lost his driving licence for at least six months could be longer just depends how he is with his head injury.
"This has made him sad as that means he won’t be able to work in his new job as he has to travel to Coalville."
In a recent update, the organisers said Chris is 'lost for words' at how many people have donated, adding that the funds are going to 'help with the rent and bills'.
You can donate to the GoFundMe page here.
Daisy Phillipson