The doctor’s orders for a cat rescued after spending 13 hours trapped inside a burning apartment are a lot like what a doctor might tell you: Stay off your feet for a few days.
“He hasn’t seemed to grasp the idea that if he just lays on his back or his side, (his feet) won’t bother him,” Dr. Liz Grauer, a veterinarian with the Humane Society for Southwest Washington, said Wednesday. “His feet are very badly burned. They’re very painful for him.”
Grauer took the small black-and-gray tabby home with her Monday so she could provide 24-hour care and prevent him from getting “stressed.” She’s also guarding against an upper respiratory infection, which is common among shelter cats.
The still-unclaimed feline suffered smoke inhalation and burns to his face and feet during last Thursday’s fire that destroyed Building F at the Rolling Creek Apartments, 7301 N.E. 13th Ave.
Along with the cat, 56 people were displaced by what was one of the largest local fires in recent memory. Four tenants spent the night in a Red Cross shelter at a local church, and 52 have found lodging in motels or with friends or family. The cause of the fire has not been determined, but is believed to be accidental.
The cat has not been officially named by the humane society. Grauer, though, has taken to calling him “Toasty.”
“He smelled like burnt toast,” she said, adding that her bosses may not take too well to the nickname.
One family missing a cat visited the shelter but left without the animal when it was determined Toasty didn’t belong to them, said Erin Griffin, a spokeswoman for the humane society. She said that family’s cat had actually gone missing prior to the fire. No other leads on the missing tabby’s owners have emerged.
Toasty was discovered at 3 a.m. Friday, some 13 hours after the fire broke out. A firefighter/EMT with Clark County Fire District 6, Shawn Richey, had been with his unit, mopping up a “pesky hot spot” inside one of the apartments.
“As we were walking out the door, we heard, ‘Meow, meow, meow,’ ” Richey said.
He dug into a futon and picked up the cat. He said it was shaking but didn’t struggle. Outside, Richey took off his shirt and wrapped it around the cat. A pediatric oxygen mask was used to give the cat fresh air.
The cat was then taken to St. Francis Animal Hospital to be treated. Once he was stable, he was transported to the humane society.
A couple days later, he went home with Grauer. Initially, she said, he had discharge coming out of his eyes and was coughing and sneezing.
A procedure to remove singed skin on the cat’s face and paws was performed so that new, undamaged skin can grow. He also received a bath so he wouldn’t swallow any toxins from the fire while grooming himself, Grauer said.
“He’s a very nice cat,” Grauer said. “The key is just keeping him comfortable and keeping him from getting sick.”
He remains on medication to manage his pain.
“He’ll cry when he’s really hurting,” Grauer said. “He’ll talk to you when you come in the room, regardless. He’s talkative. He’s a sweetheart. He still purrs. He likes attention. He likes to be petted while he’s eating.”
Griffin said the cat is expected to be fully recovered in two to three weeks.
“He is eating and he is walking,” Griffin said. “He’s using a litter box. He is functioning normally.”
Once the cat is fully healed, he’ll be up for adoption.
If anyone from the fire is missing a cat or knows of someone missing a cat that matches Toasty’s description, contact the Humane Society at 360-693-4746.
Griffin said there’s interest among staff at the humane society and the animal hospital in adopting the cat.
“He’s easily adoptable,” Griffin said.
