An eight-week-old kitten named Pepper was rescued from a burning house in upper Tongaat on Monday.
The Fire Department and owners were able to pull the kitten from the house, where he had been trapped in one of the bedrooms, but he was still in need of medical attention.
Netcare 911 were on the scene and paramedics Shaun Paul, Kelsey Shone, Isaac Pillay and Colin Krishnalall were able to tend to Pepper.
“Pepper was very lethargic and was finding it difficult to walk. His eyes were rolling into the back of his head and he had clearly inhaled a lot of smoke. We gave him some oxygen and ensured he stayed warm in order to stabilise him,” said Netcare 911 operation manager at Alberlito Hospital, Shaun Paul.
The team took the kitten to the local vet in Tongaat.
The vet said Pepper would need intensive physiotherapy on his legs for the next few weeks and that he might not ever fully recover.
The diagnosis did not stop volunteer Netcare 911 paramedic Kelsey Shone from giving Pepper regular physiotherapy over the past few days. The kitten has already made a big improvement.
Shone will look after Pepper until his owners are ready to take care of him again.
“It’s amazing that Pepper survived the fire,” said Paul.
“He is friendly and full of life, in spite of his traumatic experience. The vet is happy with his progress and is impressed with Kelsey’s dedication to the little kitten.”
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