A California Maine Coon cat, Aggie, has shocked everyone by being rescued alive from the destructive Palisades wildfire in Los Angeles after her family’s house was burnt to the ground. She had been missing for two months, and it was assumed that she had died. Her owner, 82-year-old Katherine Kiefer, never lost hope.
At the weekend, Kiefer got a surprise call from the West Los Angeles Animal Shelter, and Aggie was miraculously back. The touching moment soon went viral after the emotional moment was captured in a TikTok clip posted by Kiefer’s daughter, Carolyn. Katherine exclaimed, “I was so worried that I was going to wake up and (find) it was a dream,” thrilled.
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Aggie had been lost in the fire when Kiefer was at a doctor’s appointment. Despite frantic searching by her children, the hidey-cat was nowhere to be found. Carolyn remembered, “The one thing my mum asked was: ‘Did you get Aggie?'” demonstrating the mother’s close relationship with the pet.
The Palisades fire, which destroyed the area in January, had left many pets separated from their owners, but against all odds, Aggie survived. The five-year-old feline was a present to Katherine during the COVID-19 pandemic, and her return has brought joy to many.
On being found, Aggie was extremely malnourished and starved for attention. Carolyn described, “She was basically skin and bones, and in a total state of starvation.”She has since received multiple blood transfusions and is now being treated medically by experts. The tale of the cat has attracted huge numbers of support on the internet, with a GoFundMe webpage raising more than $21,000 to fund her vet work.
Katherine looks forward to Aggie’s return home, scheduled for Thursday when she is discharged from the hospital. Her advice to fellow pet owners is simple: “Don’t underestimate cats.”