FIRE: Christmas Eve catsitting scary story

[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?

[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!

,

[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 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 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!!
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!