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MATT GENTRY The Roanoke Times

Jumper, now safely in the hands of veterinarian Jennifer Freeman at the West End Animal Clinic in Radford, survived an 80-foot leap from Memorial Bridge into Bisset Park on Thursday.

MATT GENTRY The Roanoke Times

Jumper is recovering from his 80-foot leap at the West End Animal Clinic in Radford. He'll be ready for adoption in a few days.

They could have called him Lucky or Miracle or even Butterscotch.

But the tiny, pale orange kitten that jumped off Memorial Bridge in Radford and lived to meow about it earned the name the staff at the West End Animal Clinic gave him: Jumper.

"He's a lucky little kitten," licensed veterinary technician Kerri Jamerson said.

She said Jumper's worst injury was a scraped pad on his front paw that's causing him to limp. He also has a busted lip.

Not bad for a fall from a part of the bridge that Virginia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Heidi Coy said is about 80 feet tall.

Jumper's troubles started about lunchtime Thursday. Someone called Radford animal control to report that a kitten was on the heavily traveled bridge that carries U.S. 11 over the New River between Radford and the Fairlawn section of Pulaski County.

Animal control officer Chris Gardner went onto the bridge to try to rescue the kitten before it got struck by a car. But Jumper apparently didn't want to be rescued just yet.

As Gardner stepped closer, the kitten dived off the side of the bridge, police Chief Don Goodman said. He landed at the tennis courts in Bisset Park below.

Rather than follow Jumper's quick route, Gardner got into his animal control truck and drove to the park. Jumper was lying by the tennis courts. He appeared to be hurt, Goodman said, so Gardner snatched him up and took him to West End, where the city's animal control officers take all injured animals.

"He's in pretty good condition," Jamerson said.

In fact, she said, the long distance he fell could have played a key role in his survival.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, cats may be at a greater risk for injury when falling short distances.

Short distances do not give them enough time to adjust their body posture to fall correctly, according to the ASPCA Web site.

Jamerson said Jumper appears to be feral, so he was scared when first taken into the clinic.

But within a day, she said Friday, he had started to warm up to staff members.

It probably didn't hurt that they were feeding him canned chicken-flavored kitten food, putting ointment on his sore paw pad and "giving him cuddles and whatnot."

"I think he'll come around," Jamerson said. "He's already wanting us to love him."

Jamerson said she expects Jumper, who is about 8 weeks old, to be released back to animal control and taken to the city's animal shelter within a couple of days. Then, he'll be available for adoption.

"I'm sure he'll get a home quickly," she said, "especially with his story."