Puyallup, Washington: In the dead of night, a foster family evacuates their home with a pregnant foster cat, Moon.
A massive fire at a cold storage center in Puyallup, Washington, caused police to reverse 911 call 10,000 area citizens. Everyone within a 1.1-mile radius had to evacuate over concerns of toxic fumes. The fire began at 5:20 a.m., as most people were sleeping.
Several fire departments led a three-alarm response since the fumes could be fatal if breathed in high concentrations.
All images via Facebook/TacomaHumane
That morning, Rebecca Thompson and her family awoke to a shocking “Go Now” evacuation order. So, she quickly got her kids dressed to leave. At the time, Thompson was also fostering a pregnant cat named Moon for the Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County. It’s one of the oldest animal welfare organizations in the nation, reports the Federal Way Mirror.
“The Thompson’s started fostering Moon knowing she could give birth to her kittens at any time. They had a room all set up so she could be comfortable and cozy while they waited for the babies to arrive, but nature had other ideas,” they wrote on Facebook.
After putting Moon in a carrier, the family headed out. Hopefully, they could find someplace to stay for the rest of the night. However, they didn’t know when they would be able to return to their Puyallup home again.
“We didn’t know when we could go back to the house. We decided to just find a room for the night,” said Thompson.
Moon Goes into Labor – Because of Course!
Fortunately, the family found suitable accommodations at a La Quinta Inn in Federal Way, northeast of Tacoma. Thompson had just enough time to get settled in, and then, a lighthearted joke turned real. Sure enough, Moon went into labor just an hour after reaching the hotel.
“We all joked that tonight would be the night she would have her babies. Sure enough, I noticed her having contractions within the hour and she was not going to give up her cozy bed. My 12-year-old son and I got some towels under her,” Thompson said.
There on the hotel bed, Moon gave birth to five healthy kittens and one stillborn. According to the Human Society Facebook, the babies have hotel-inspired names.
“All of Moon’s babies have hotel-inspired names! Tivoli, California, Tru, Indigo, and Quinta,” states the page.
Tivoli, California, Tru, Indigo, and Quinta
A Night to Remember for This Puyallup Family
Although the night was full of unexpected events, it was a memorable one the Puyallup family would never forget.
“This is the third year we have fostered through the shelter,” Thompson said. “This was an incredible experience for our family, and definitely one we will remember! We checked in with one cat, and checked out with six.”
Now, Moon and her kittens are doing well after returning to Thompson’s home. Later, once they are ready, Moon, Tivoli, California, Tru, Indigo, and Quinta will be ready for adoption.
The Humane Society thanked the Thompson family for “taking such amazing care of Moon and her babies during such a chaotic event.” To find out how you can become a foster family, check out the Humane Society website.
Although the 100,000-square-foot cold storage facility in Puyallup burned to the ground, there were no reported injuries.|
See the fire from KING5:
