A Cat Went to Sleep in an Inactive Washing Machine, and Woke Up During a 55-Minute Wash Cycle with 3,000 Spins
The feline reportedly withstood a "full 55-minute cold cycle," which included "3000 spins"
The cat is being described as a "miracle" for surviving the ordeal and recovering from his serious injuriesAn Australian cat likely left one of his nine lives behind in the wash, after surviving a 55-minute cycle in a washing machine.
According to a June 10 Facebook post from the Small Animal Specialist Hospital (SASH), the Burmese feline, Pablo, recently went missing for over an hour. His family searched all over the house for the cat until they eventually found the pet in their washing machine, which had just finished a full cycle.
The animal hospital and Pablo's family believe the cat snuck into the washing machine when it was open and inactive for a nap. One of Pablo's family members later started the washer, not realizing Pablo was inside. SASH shared that Pablo withstood a "full 55-minute cold cycle," which included "3000 spins."
After Pablo's family found the cat in the washing machine, they rushed him to the SASH Gold Coast's Emergency & Critical Care, where he arrived in "critical condition," according to the post.
Dr. Ella Yarsley with the animal hospital told 7 News Australia that the kitten was brought in with a "brain" and "lung injury."
"[He] was probably in the most dire condition I've seen in a case in a long time," Yarsley told the outlet. "Not many have seen cats go through a whole cycle and survive."
However, Pablo was a special case. After undergoing "intensive, round-the-clock care" from the emergency and critical care staff for seven days, which included "medication and monitoring."
Pablo "made a full recovery," and is almost back to full health, SASH said.
Yarsley described the whole incident as "pretty close to a miracle."
Though the cat recovered, he retained "minor injuries to his paw and the tip of his tail."
"Despite his cheeky curiosity, Pablo the miracle cat is here today thanks to his quick-thinking and loving human crew, who entrusted our specialist-led team to provide care when Pablo needed it most," SASH said on Facebook.
In a follow-up post on June 23, SASH shared updated photos of the feline looking almost as good as new, except for a cast still visible on one of his hind legs.
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In their social media post about Pablo, SASH warned pet owners to double-check household appliances for beloved pets before turning them on or closing them. It can be easy for pets, especially cats, to sneak undetected into washers, fridges, dryers, and other appliances.
"A big thank you to Pablo's family for allowing us to share his story and raise awareness about the dangers of one of the favourite hiding spots for cats (washing machines)," the animal hospital said in its post.
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