Fire crews and RSPCA rescue cat and three kittens with special pet oxygen masks.
West Midlands Fire Service and the RSPCA rescued a cat and three kittens from a kitchen fire.
RSPCA animal collection officer Cara Gibbon was on call overnight on Thursday (19 December) when she received a request for help from West Midlands Fire Service who were tackling a kitchen fire in Cobden Gardens, Birmingham.
Cara said: “When I arrived the amazing firefighters had already managed to pull the cat and her kittens out of the building and were giving them oxygen to help them breathe.
“I was concerned about smoke inhalation so once they’d had some oxygen I gave them a check over and took them to RSPCA Birmingham Animal Hospital to be seen by a vet.
“Thankfully the crews were able to get them out quickly and – thanks to these new pet oxygen masks – get them vital oxygen so they’ll all make full recoveries.”
It’s understood the fire started in a kitchen after an unattended incense was left burning and caught light. Fire crews from Highgate and Bournbrook attended the scene and successfully tackled the fire.
There was no one home at the time and the four blackened cats were safely removed from the property.
A West Midlands Fire Service spokesman said: “Yesterday evening (Thursday 19 December) we received calls to reports of a kitchen fire at a property in Balsall Heath, Birmingham. Crews from our Highgate and Bournbrook Fire Stations attended and the fire was confined to the kitchen and extinguished.
“Four cats were rescued from the property, all of which were unresponsive at first, after giving oxygen and first aid for around 30 minutes the cats conditions improved dramatically and we handed them over to our colleagues at the RSPCA.”
Seven-year-old Gracie, three-month-old kittens Tiger and Skylight, and seven-month-old Optimistic will all be monitored by RSPCA veterinary staff before being returned to their owner.
The RSPCA and Smokey Paws teamed up in 2017 to provide specialist animal oxygen therapy kits to every fire engine operating in England and Wales.
Smokey Paws raises the money for the life-saving masks via public donations, company sponsorships and fundraisers. The RSPCA teamed up with the small charity to help fund the kits in an effort to roll them out across the country.
Cara added: “Pets can be extremely vulnerable to the dangers of house fires, particularly smoke inhalation. Our fire services do an amazing job and our partnership with Smokey Paws is our way of helping our brave firefighters by equipping them with a specialist kit to help our beloved pets.
“This is just one example of how these simple kits can save the lives of animals who find themselves caught up in house fires.”
To help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in desperate need of care please visit our website.
