Thank goodness cats have nine lives! A cat (who should be named Lucky) escaped a fire in West Orange, New Jersey this weekend with several lives intact.
A two-story apartment house caught fire this weekend. No humans were injured in the blaze, but firefighters feared the worst for a tenant’s cat. When the fire was finally out, firefighters found the cat — it had survived the fire inside a couch. The cat had wedged itself down into the cushions and came through the fire without injury.
Owner and cat have been reunited and are currently staying with a relative.
For every happy ending like this that makes the news, there are other experiences that don’t end well. And with the subject of pets and house fires coming up twice in one week, I think that’s a sign for us to all think about emergency planning for our families and our pets.
Do you have a family evacuation plan in case of fire? Do you have a plan in place for your pets?
- Make sure you have window stickers or other signs posted to let firefighters know how many pets you have, what types of animal they are, and where they might be.
- Pets may be frightened or agitated in an emergency situation. Try to stay calm — pets can sense your emotional state.
- Smaller pets can be wrapped in a towel or blanket and carried out of the house.
- Map out several escape routes from your house — make sure you have multiple plans if you have more than one floor.
- Live in a multi-story house? Look into escape ladders that can hold both people and pets!
- Practice your exit plans to make sure everyone in the family knows how to get out of the house in an emergency situation.
I’m going to put a sticker near the front door and on my patio door right now!