Kitten trapped in burning house rescued
An eight-week-old kitten was saved by Netcare 911 paramedics when his owner's house burnt down in Tongaat last week.
PEPPER, an the eight-week-old kitten, lost one of his nine lives after the house he was living in, in Tongaat, burnt down on Friday, 16 May. Pepper was trapped inside one of the bedrooms.
After being rescued by the local fire department and his owners, Pepper was in dire need of urgent medical attention.
That’s where Netcare 911 came in and a team of paramedics consisting of Shaun Paul, Kelsey Shone, Isaac Pillay and Colin Krishnalall, helped save the soot-covered kitten.
“Pepper was very lethargic and was finding it difficult to walk. His eyes were rolling into the back of his head and he clearly inhaled a lot of smoke. We gave him some oxygen and ensured he stayed warm in order to stabilise him,” said Shaun Paul, operations manager of the Netcare 911 base situated at Netcare Alberlito Hospital.
Pepper to the local vet in upper Tongaat, who said that he would need intensive physiotherapy on his legs over the next few weeks. The vet added that the kitten would never fully recover.
However, the diagnosis did not deter volunteer Netcare 911 paramedic Kelsey Shone. Shone has been giving Pepper regular physiotherapy on his legs over the past few days and has already seen a vast improvement. He has committed to caring for the lucky feline until his owners are ready to look after him again.
“It’s amazing that Pepper survived the fire because the house was totally destroyed,” notes Shaun Paul.
“He is friendly and full of life, in spite of his traumatic experience. The vet is happy with his progress and is impressed with Kelsey’s dedication to the little kitten,” Paul added.
