Posted: Feb. 7, 2009, 3 a.m. EST
Pretty is in stable condition after being rescued from a fire. |
A tortoiseshell
calico cat named Pretty has responded well to treatment after being inside a burning home in Lawrence, Mass., for 15 minutes before she was discovered by a firefighter, according to staff at the Essex County Veterinary Referral Hospital.
Firefighters on scene at the three-family house fire on Feb. 4 went through the property to look for survivors, and the cat was discovered on the second floor. No people were home at the time of the blaze.
The cat was given oxygen at the scene and taken to the hospital where emergency veterinarian Tania Cames, DVM, and a staff of veterinary technicians worked to stabilize her. The cat suffered from smoke inhalation and heat exposure.
"She inhaled quite a lot of smoke, her lungs are very scratchy and they need to be aired out," said hospital spokeswoman Sommer Aweidah. However, Pretty's lungs were not damaged and the cat remains in stable condition at the hospital.
According to the staff, she's resting comfortably and she purrs when handled. The cat will need about four more days of hospitalized treatment before she can be released to her family, Aweidah said.
The hospital staff chose to treat the cat at no cost to the owners.