Catlike Grace

I was playing video games this afternoon sitting in my recliner. Sirius the Cat decided to pay me a visit at a good time, when I was between things. So he got a good petting on top of his head, his cheeks, chest and back. Not so long, but he was satisfied. Then he lay down, half on, half beside, my right arm - his way of saying he was pleased. I started playing the game again and he soon got up to move a short distance away so my twitching arm muscles wouldn't bother him. I saw him start to jump from the chair arm to the coffee table about a foot away. He slipped and smacked his face on the edge of the wooden coffee table, tumbling eight inches to the carpeted floor. It looked like it would have hurt, and for a minute or so he was just plain startled. He walked away normally. Then he started intermittently softly yowling/cat-crying/cat-cussing, and half creeping, half limping around the room as if he'd been kicked in the ribs instead of hit in the face. The good news is that I saw it happen so I wasn't worried his distressed yowling meant the refrigerator had fallen on him or something else that would instantly require the vet. The bad news was that I didn't have much I could do for him except speak softly to him. I've bashed my own shins, toes, fingers and face enough to know he'd be okay, but it was going to hurt for a few minutes. He's lying not far away, right now, seemingly fine. But I think I'll avoid petting his cheeks for a day or two just in case.