Responding to a house fire in Stratford, east London earlier this September, firefighters found a cat inside the house, unconscious from smoke inhalation. Her owner, Michael, was so desperate to save her life that he begged firefighters to use his own oxygen mask to save her.
She did resume breathing, and was taken to the Celia Hammond Animal Trust in Lewisham where she spent two days in an oxygen tent, getting her food via tubes in her stomach.
When she could breath normally, her owner and animal trust staff were concerned about her motor skills. Today, only a few short weeks since the fire, she can now walk again, use her litter box, and eat all without assistance.
As mentioned in a post earlier this month, please note that most fire departments are not equipped with oxygen masks tailored specifically for pets like cats and dogs. Please consider talking to your local fire chief about contacting Project Breath; they will provide one free kit (which includes three differently sized animal oxygen masks) per fire station. Local fire chiefs can request a kit here.
Photo courtesy of the Celia Hammond Animal Trust.
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