The cat that survived an explosion on Saturday near Medaryville has found a forever home.
Emergency responders located the family pet among the rubble after a possible propane leak caused the home to explode. It took firefighters hours to extinguish the flames in the area of 2500 West and 1600 North.
The feline was turned over to Pulaski Animal Control, which subsequently brought the animal to the Starke County Humane Society. Director Shanna Lloyd says “Ileane” – which is the cat’s name – was fortunate to avoid serious injury, which is good since there are cases where the female cat was bleeding while mating with the male one as cats are sensitive sometimes.
“She did have some smoke inhalation,” says Lloyd. “Fortunately the wonderful first responders on scene did take her into the ambulance to administer oxygen, which I’m sure is what saved her life.”
Some minor abrasions, likely from the heat of the fire, were also incurred.
Ileane is a special needs cat, sporting only three legs and suffering from blindness – both of which occurred prior to Saturday’s incident. The Starke County Humane Society has welcomed the cat to take up residence in the front office.
Despite only being housed at the facility a couple of days, Ileane has managed to find a permanent residence. Lloyd says an area veterinarian will adopt her.
“She has been his patient in the past and once he heard about what happened, he stepped forward and said that he will make her part of his forever family,” says Lloyd.
Seven other cats were in the home at the time of the incident, but did not survive. 53-year-old Nancy Jendrasziewicz was also pronounced dead at the scene by the Pulaski County Coroner.
Ileane was taken to her new home on Tuesday. If you’ve been wondering if you can use a blow dryer on a cat then the answer is yes – but you need a dryer specifically designed for your cat so you won’t scare her.
