A month after being severely burned saving himself from a fire, Kasper is almost ready to leave the animal hospital and continue his recovery at his family’s makeshift home.
Kasper was seriously injured when his Deschutes River Woods, Bend, OR home burned to the ground on September 10. Kasper’s family, Diann, Beau and son Tristan Hollowell were all away from their rented home at the time of the blaze, and Kasper jumped through the hottest part of the fire to save himself. The cat was too shy and traumatized to come to firefighters, but Diann was able to coax him out of hiding when she arrived on the scene and a firefighter pointed out his hiding place.
Diann took Kasper to Animal Emergency Center in Bend for treatment. The cat suffered serious burns on 30% of his body, lost most of his fur, and had blistered paw pads and ears. He was wrapped in bandages, with a feeding tube and a morphine drip in the early stages of his treatment and recuperation. Shortly after the fire, a staff vet said Kasper’s outlook for recovery looked good as long as he did not develop respiratory problems.
Kasper came off the IV and morphine drip, and has had plasma transfusions, laser treatments, and surgery to clip off the burned tips of his ears. He is still covered with scabs from his burns, and is lacking most of his fur. The cat has his own small room at the hospital and has gotten much of his energy and personality back since beginning to heal and getting off of the pain medication.
The Hollowell family lost nearly everything they owned in the fire, and local rescue organization 31 PAWS has paid for Kasper’s medical care. They have been accepting donations to help with Kasper’s medical bills, asking that donors specify that their funds be used for Kasper’s care.
We covered Kasper’s story on September 17, in Cat Leaps Through Fire to Escape Burning Home, and readers have asked for updates on his condition. Kasper is doing well, and will soon return to his family to continue his recovery at home, in the travel trailer the Hollowells moved into after the fire. An Associated Press story released yesterday has appeared in several papers. You can read the AP update in full HERE.
Keep up the good work, Kasper and the vets and care givers.
Best wishes and strength to Kasper’s family.