FIRE: Christmas Eve catsitting scary story

[phesina]

I work some as a petsitter. Tthe big family holidays are times when you are very busy, because those are the times people go somewhere and need someone to look after their pets..

So among a few others I have this one now, a house with 12 cats. The owner is a lovely retired widower whose wife was a long-time volunteer at our shelter. I've looked after their cats for years. He and his new lady-friend are in England and Portugal for a couple of weeks.

So I was coming up towards the house this afternoon.. saw all these fire trucks down the street..

THE HOUSE WAS ON FIRE.

Long day, very nerve-wracking and tiresome.. too long to go into the story now.

BUT... THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO TELL YOU NOW:

ALL 12 CATS ARE SAFE AND SOUND!!!!!

More later.. when I am more up to it.

Cheers! and love :love::love::love::love::love::love:,
Pat, Sydney, Poppy, Elmer, Bob, and Sparkler


P.S., MERRY CHRISTMAS! Hug and schmoozle and skritch your beloved fur kids right now, because you never know what might happen...

[chocolatepuppy]

Oh no, that's awful! Thank goodness all 12 cats are safe!

[katladyd]

Thank God all those precious furbabies are safe! Is the gentleman on his way home now? I know I would be!

[phesina]

Between the firefighters, the police, the emergency vets, the neighbor and good friend, and myself, everything is under control. One of the cats, Lavinia, was slightly singed and is at the emergency vets' overnight. I took her in. She's stable and okay for now, but they want to watch her for smoke inhalation and any other damage that might not be immediately apparent.

Simon (the owner) and I will be talking more as things progress. (Aren't cell phones marvelous?!) The fire was mostly contained to one room, which the cats don't normally get into anyway.

I found 8 of the 12 cats pretty quickly, but the other 4 were still missing when Lavinia and I went to the vet's. Lavinia is being kept overnight, and we'll decide where to go from there. She is a very elderly lady with already a whole lot of things going on.

A couple hours later, after we were done checking her out there and consulting with Simon over the phone, I went back to the house to see that the others had food and water and litterboxes. During that time, the other four turned up. HALLELUJAH! OH, THANK GOD.

THANK GOD: Someone walking down the street saw the smoke and called the fire department RIGHT AWAY. The house is a big old wooden structure and would have gone up like a bonfire, cats and all, if it had had much more time to burn.

[Grace]

Pat, I just read about that in A2.com. What a nightmare that must have been for you and those poor kitties.

It said one of the cats was at the Vet Emergency. But the other 11 - where are they now?

[Freedom]

Oh my! I am so glad to read that ALL the cats got out. Prayers that Lavinia survives this scare. Sounds like she will be ok.

Any info how the fire started?

[rg_girlca]

Wow I can only imagine how scared you were. Thank God all the cats are safe and sound. Prayers on the way that Lavinia will be okay and has a full recovery from this. Thank goodness the fire was contained to just one room and Bless the person for walking down the street at the right time in order to call the fire department right away.

[krazyaboutkatz]

How horrible and scary.:eek: I'm so glad to hear that all 12 cats survived the fire. Does any one know how the fire started? I too hope that Lavinia recovers quickly. I'll keep her in my thoughts and prayers.

[phesina]

Pat, I just read about that in A2.com. What a nightmare that must have been for you and those poor kitties.

It said one of the cats was at the Vet Emergency. But the other 11 - where are they now?

Gretchen, I didn't know we made the news!. I just looked at a2.com but couldn't find it. Do you have a URL for it?

The other kitties were all in different parts of the house. I found the four I hadn't seen earlier when I got back after leaving Lavinia at the vet's. I shut off the areas they shouldn't go to and let them free in the areas they are used to, then gave some more food, scooped the litter, and topped off the water dishes with a soda-bottle-full I brought from the vet's.

The electricity and furnace are working, but the WATER is shut off until Monday, so I will be bringing big jugs with me to give them to drink and to clean up the dishes as well as I can.

I just talked to the vet this morning. Lavinia is doing fine and will probably be discharged today. She was on oxygen for a while (to contend with possible carbon monoxide damage from the smoke), and she's been doing well since they took her off. They put her on some antibiotics. There are other symptoms, but they are mostly from things already going on with her.

I called Simon in Portugal, and he's going to call the vet and discuss what to do next. I have two other petsitting visits this morning (one elderly cat who needs to get FOUR pills -- two huge-- twice a day, and another who has to get sub-Q fluids), and then whenever it works best for Lavinia and the hospital I can come get her and bring her back home.

I haven't heard yet the official report on how the fire started. I have no idea myself. The room it started in is shut off from the cats.

That room is completely blackened and gutted. I CANNOT EVEN BEGIN TO SAY HOW GRATEFUL I AM THAT IT'S ONLY THAT ROOM. Thank you, God!!!!! Again and again.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, EVERYONE, FOR ALL YOUR GOOD WISHES!!!!!

AND MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND GOD BLESS US, EVERYONE!

:love::love::love::love::love::love:,

[Barbara]

What a jorrible thing for poor Simon- to go on vacation and your house with 12 pets in it begins to burn!
I am so glad they are all ok. And I hope the house has no existential damage either.

[Laura's Babies]

This has tears in my eyes. God was watching over those babies is all I can say. OMG!! THANK GOD for looking after those babies!!!

[Grace]

HERE (http://www.annarbor.com/news/12-cats-injured-in-ann-arbor-house-fire/index.php) is the article from last evening. It does not appear to have been updated since then.

[chocolatepuppy]

A furkids parents worst nightmare, a fire and you are not home.:( MY eyes well up reading this again. Yes, thank God someone happened by. I'm happy to hear all the kitties are okay.:)

[phesina]

HERE (http://www.annarbor.com/news/12-cats-injured-in-ann-arbor-house-fire/index.php) is the article from last evening. It does not appear to have been updated since then.

Thanks, Grace. I just read it. Did you read the "comments" sent in by readers following the article? Sound like some Pet Talk threads! ;) - "Only an insane person would live with twelve cats." and then "Only an insane person would have no cats."

I especially like this one, submitted by alert reader Andy Jacobs:
---------->
Andy Jacobs
Posted 9 hours ago

On the 12th day of Catmas,
my true love gave to me

Twelve cats a crying,
Eleven emergecy responders,
Ten sirens blaring,
Nine lives a leaping,
Eight neighbors watching,
Seven windows broken,
Six hundred gallons of water,

Five 911 Calls,

Four -ty thousand dollars damage,
Three emergency vehicles,
Two reporters typing,

And a story on Christmas Eve
----------------------

...a story with the ending ".. and they all lived happily ever after!"

[astrid]

OMG!! :eek:
Thank God everyone is fine, my prayers for Lavinia!!
God bless the person who called the Fire Departament and all the people who helped, especially YOU for taking care of the furbabies.

Merry Christmas to you and your kitties at home!

[catmandu]

Praise Our Lord God that all are well and that the house did not go completely under!!!:):)
I almost that happen a few months ago when one of the pot heads fell asleep and set the rented house on fire.
:eek::eek:
We are so close that the Found Cat Hotel may have been next!!:love::love:
Thank God for he Miracle of All Twelve Cats safe and sound:love::love::love:

[Pinot's Mom]

What a horrifying ordeal for everyone! I'm so glad the kitties are OK and the fire was relatively contained.

[phesina]

I picked her up just after noon. The checkout person told me to watch her, make sure she's eating and drinking and getting back to her normal state.

Well, we got back home.. She hopped out of the carrier box, looking around like "YAY! I'm HOME!!!!" but then.. "What's that yucky smell?" There is still some smoke odor around, and a lot of debris everywhere.

I got out a couple cans of nice wet food and put some on a plate on the floor for them. Boy, she tucked right into that like there was no tomorrow! NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM!!!!!!

So I guess she's eating all right.. :)

I did the other chores I do when I go there, and meanwhile she was exploring around, seeing all her friends, checking out on what's the same and what's different.. Making sure that the things she counts on (food, water, litter, bedding) are there where and for when she wants them.

I called Simon to update him. He was glad to hear all this. Tomorrow I will go get more food and litter for them, because all the supplies were in the room which got burned out. There was enough wet food in the kitchen for them today, no more kibble or fresh litter, so we're all out now. I brought along a couple of gallon jugs of fresh tap-water, so the water dishes all got refilled with new.

[Cataholic]

How frightening! So glass all are okay. I am curious, did they let you in to find them? Did they look? Did you have crates for all? It is,as someone else said, my largest fear.

[momcat]

That had to be traumatic for those poor kitties. I'm happy to know that Lavinia is out of the hospital and doing well.

Bless you for helping these kitties, feeding them, getting vet care, and being there for them. Please let us know how they're doing?

[Anikaca77]

I can't even begin to image the fear.....my prays that the kitties will get over this just fine and I'm so glad they were all safe and sound.

This is such a happy ending, thank God for the person seeing the fire and calling the police.

Melissa

[phesina]

I just got back from visiting them today. They are all doing well, enjoying their food and being home. Some of them have gunk in their ears (I think for a while now, not the fire), and I'm going to work on cleaning some of that out.

I had hoped the water would be turned back on today, but it wasn't. The guy stopped by to get a look at the situation and layout but will send workers to take care of it later this week. So I am still bringing jugs of water with me over there for the cats to have clean drinking water and then bringing the dirty food dishes back here so I can wash them in warm water!

Yes, this is such a miracle that it has turned out as it has.. I cannot stop saying THANK YOU, GOD!!!

Oh, and in response to Cataholic's question about did they let me in.. After the fire was under control and the smoke pretty much cleared out (they had set up HUGE fans), the officials let me and Ray and the insurance guy in. The firefighters had been closing the cats in this one room when they found them. There were a couple in there, a couple they hadn't been able to catch that I got and put in the room, and I went upstairs and found three of the others under the bed. The other four were still a question when I took Lavinia to the vet's. After I was done there, I came back to check out the scene and feed them and give them some clean water.

I'd known the water had been shut off when I went to the vet's. An hour or two later, as I was about to leave, I asked the discharge person if they could possibly give me some water in some kind of jug to take to the cats.. I was told "Oh, you can probably stop at Meijer's and pick up a gallon or two." (Meijer's is a big store chain around here similar to Target or KMart, with stores around on the outer edges of Ann Arbor.) Mind you, this is now about 5pm on Christmas Eve! and sure I'm gonna drive all the way out there, or to Kroger or wherever, to fight the mobs of last-minute shoppers, then drive all the way back to get it to the cats..

Then someone there also thought twice about it and came back with a big-size soda bottle full of water. Whew! So I got back to the house, went around checking how and where things were, found one cat in the basement where it is normally closed off to them, .. the YOUNG one I'd been afraid might have run off out the door was IN the house, and the old ones I hadn't found before were in secluded spots where they felt safest. ALL PRESENT OR (Lavinia) ACCOUNTED FOR! WHAT a relief! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, GOD! :love::love::love::love::love::love:

I closed off the rooms they shouldn't get into (the one where the fire took place had been quite securely shut off by the firefighters), opened up the rooms they normally hung out in, topped up all the water bowls with the clean water, scooped out the litter boxes where needed, and put out LOTS of nice yummy wet food! I wanted them to realize they were back in their old familiar haunts as much as I possibly could.

[Laura's Babies]

I have thought about those kitties every since I first read your post about this. It has haunted me so much! I will breathe easier now that you have posted a follow up and they are all ok..

It has made me think twice about even walking out the door to go anywhere leaving mine in the house alone...

[katladyd]

Thank goodness when I am gone my son is usually home and vice versa. This would be one of my biggest nightmares, a fire while I am out of the house.:eek:

[jennielynn1970]

This would be one of my biggest nightmares, a fire while I am out of the house.:eek:

Same here... I worry so much when I am gone over the summer. There are rental people in the one house next to us (we live in a row home), and another family that are quite, well, shall we say NOT CAUTIOUS in the things they do. It worries me to no end!

I'm glad that the 11 other kitties are doing well, and I hope that Lavinia rebounds totally. Poor gal.

Many thoughts and prayers going out to you on this wintry night!

[phesina]

Thank you all for all your good wishes, and I will continue to keep you posted :love::love::love:.

Here's something creepy that dawned on me a day or two later:

Actually, but for a snap decision I'd made, I'd have been in there when the fire started too:

I got down there around 1:30.. I guess about the time it was just starting but before it started showing signs outside. Simon's house is a couple of blocks from downtown Ann Arbor, and I had a few errands to do down there.. so I went on downtown, did my errands, then came back around 2:30.. to find firetrucks all around, firefighters running in and out of open doors, smoke billowing out windows..

My heart was in my throat as I thought.. "THE CATS.." are they in there, are they okay, any injured, ...... dead.....? have any run off out of the open doors to God knows where?...

So if I hadn't gone downtown but went straight in to the house, I would have been in there when it started too.. YIKES!

[Medusa]

How in the world did I miss this thread??? What a relief, though, to read that all is well now. You must have been out of your mind w/fear and worry, Pat. :love:

[phesina]

Oh, it was quite a shock, to say the very least! When I first came across the scene, I thought surely at least some of the cats are hurt or dead or escaped and lost now.. but I blanked on that and could only take things in and do things one step at a time.

And then, SUCH relief, and such gratitude to whatever forces for harmony and goodness in the universe there may be... the cats were all there and all doing okay.

I brought them more food and supplies today.. Lavinia continues to do just fine, and they all seem pretty much back to life as usual. :love::love::love::love::love::love:

Meanwhile, Ray has gotten some people in who were downstairs starting to clean up the basement and collecting valuable academic materials down there to preserve and restore them. And the water is back on again!.. so I no longer have to bring in jugs of water and then take home the dirty food dishes to wash them in warm water :).

[Freedom]

I am SO HAPPY to read Lavinia is back home and seems FINE!

And all the others are doing well.

Glad the water is back on, makes things much easier for you.

I appreciated reading how things went / developed at the time.

[lizbud]

I've been following up on this story , but Didn't post till now. I am so
happy to know how well everything's turned out, considering what could
have happened, but didn't.:eek:

I'm so glad that Lavinia was not seriously hurt & that you were right there
when the kitties needed you.:)