The cat seen dropping four floors from an Esquimalt apartment fire has been found safe, more than a week after the incident that claimed her owner’s life.
“She was extremely scared,” said Jessica Leblanc, a Find Lost and Escaped Cats (FLEC) volunteer who found Blueberry near the apartment building at 843 Craigflower Road Monday night.
“As soon as any noise came, she bolted. it was pretty sad to see.”
The ragdoll Siamese cross belonged to Judith Burke, who lived on the fourth and top floor of the apartment and died in the fire. Witnesses said she may have been too afraid to jump.
Volunteers, many who didn’t know Burke, were out each day and night since Blueberry went missing.
Volunteers used Burke’s old Walmart work vests to lure the kitty cat back.
“By the time the jacket was put into the bush, she showed up a half an hour later,” said Jill Oakley, owner of FLEC.
After earning her trust with food, they were able to get a hold of Blueberry and wrap a blanket around her.
Leblanc saw that Blueberry’s paws were raw and badly bleeding as they rushed her over to Central Victoria Vet Hospital.
But despite jumping or possibly being thrown out the building, vets were surprised to find that Blueberry had no broken bones.
“She had some burns to her feet, and her whiskers were burned off,” said Cath Webb, a vet technician at Central Victoria Vet Hospital.
“Definitely painful, but they should heal up with time.”
Vets at the Central Hospital are covering Blueberry’s hospital bills and expect she will make a full recovery.
A silver lining maybe, to a dark tragedy.
“For Judith, I hope she can rest easy now, knowing that her cat’s safe,” said Reuniting Owners with Animals Missing volunteer Deb Simpson.
After some rounds of painkillers, antibiotics, and lots of TLC, Blueberry will head home with one of Burke’s family members.
“Makes my heart warm, that cat’s going to be loved,” said Leblanc.
Just the way Burke wanted.
CHEK News
