Resuscitated cat loses battle for life (From Streatham Guardian)

Cat resuscitated by firefighters loses battle for life

3:20pm Friday 10th August 2012 in News

A family is mourning the loss of a cat that succumbed to his injuries after being resuscitated by West Norwood firefighters.

The black cat called Monkey passed away at 6pm in the early hours of Sunday morning at the Royal Veterinary College.

Firefighters resuscitated the cat using breathing apparatus after saving him from a flat in Beechwoods Court on July 29 where a dehumidifier had blown up.

The cat's owner Mark Leftly said he had planned to visit the cat that morning, but they got the call a few minutes after he passed away.

He said: "We are devastated but they did their best."

Mr Leftly said his two-year-old daughter Sophia has an idea of what happened.

He said: "When Sophia's mum told her that Monkey had gone away and wouldn't be coming back she said: 'I want to stroke him. '

"He was still purring when he saw us on all but one of the times we saw him last week and we're devastated that Sophia won't get to have a few years with our little Monk.

"We are told he wasn't in any pain or discomfort when he went, but he must have been so confused given he was so well just a week earlier."

On Friday, the cat was transferred from Foxgrove veterinary centre to Royal Veterinary College in a kind of pet ambulance where he was placed in an oxygen box.

Mr Leftly said: "The journey was an hour-and-a-half and caused him some distress, but was the last throw of the dice we had as otherwise he would have had to have been put to sleep on the Saturday morning."

On the day of the fire neighbour Alan Bird had called the fire brigade at around 1.45pm after seeing smoke.

He said: "The firemen had Monkey on the grass outside with a breathing apparatus attached, and they resuscitated him.

"The firemen were absolutely fantastic with the cat."

The cat will be cremated next week.