Dawn Felicani was looking out onto an icy pond in Westford, Massachusetts, when she spotted a black spot in the distance. As she looked closer, she realized it was a fluffy black cat walking on Nabnasset Pond! Why was it there? She ran to call for help, but when she returned, she heard the ice shattering, and then the cat began slowly sinking into the freezing water 30 feet from the shore!
“The crackling happened, and I was like, hysterical,” Felicani told WHEC. “And all of a sudden, it fell in! Its little head was sticking out! I’m in tears, and I’m freaking out.”
But how would anyone arrive to help when the cat only had moments before sinking under the water?
The cat as he appeared on the frozen pond in Westford, Massachusetts. Images via Facebook/ Westford Animal Control
Two Nearby Rescuers Appear At the Icy Pond
Of course, any cat in icy water requires immediate rescue. And incredibly, that’s what this one got when two nearby construction workers, Nate Puza and Chris Seymour, hopped into a rowboat! The rescue required both of them: Chris shoved the boat over the ice, and Nate broke the ice with a shovel. In no time, Nate was able to grab the kitty and put him safely in the boat. Seconds later, the cat would have gone under.
“I’ve had pets. I think anybody who has would understand that its something that’s cherished,” Puza told NBC10 Boston.
Nate Puza and Chris Seymour rescue the cat with a rowboat (Nate pictured)
What the men didn’t know at the time was this cat had no way of knowing where he was! He was a blind kitty and was only able to use his heightened sensory abilities to stay afloat on the ice. At one point, the cat appeared closer to shore, but he couldn’t have known it and ended up wandering further out in the pond.
How to Save a Hypothermic (Freezing) Animal
As soon as the cat was ashore, Felicani’s family wrapped him in warm blankets, the right thing to do. Please see our previous article for what to do if you find a freezing hypothermic animal that should not be fed or submerged in water.
What to do if you find a hypothermic animal via Facebook.
TEXT: What to do if you find a hypothermic animal:
- Do NOT feed.
- Do NOT submerse in water.
- DO bring inside out of the weather.
- DO dry the animal off.
- DO stroke to stimulate blood flow.
- DO get to a vet immediately.
If you feed a kitten with a temperature below 97, you can kill it; If you warm them up too fast, you can kill it; If the animal is frozen to the ground, do not pull it off! Instead, get LUKEWARM water and pour it around and under the animal.
DO NOT use hot water. Once free, immediately dry the animal off, wrap it in a dry towel and get it to the nearest vet.
Nabnasset Pond, Westford, Massachusetts
Tiki, the 20-Year-Old Blind Cat Lives to See Another Day
Not long after bringing the kitty indoors, Westford Animal Control arrived, where they found the cat in shock and took him to the vet. There, they found the cat’s temperature was too low to even appear on a thermometer!
Westford Animal Control takes Tiki’s temperature and find it’s too low for a reading! Image screenshot via YouTube/NBC10 Boston
Was Tiki Wandering On the Ice All Night?
After putting out a call for the cat’s family, they soon learned this cat was missing from home and named Tiki. The previous Sunday night or early Monday morning, the kitty had escaped and ran away. According to police, they suspected a predator chased the cat and he ran out onto the ice. How long he had remained there is uncertain, but it could have been all night long.
“This story is nothing short of a miracle from start to finish. We’d like to thank Dawn F. for her compassion and taking immediate action when she saw this cat in distress. And a huge thank you to Nate P. and Kris S. of Onyx Corp. for their quick action today. There is no doubt that we would not have made it in time to save this old man!” Westford Animal Control shared on Facebook.
Tiki recovering in warm blankets
Later, they shared a wonderful update on Tiki:
“Tiki resting comfortably at home after his cold plunge,” they posted on Facebook
Below is a video of the rescue by NBC10 Boston:
Images via Facebook/ Westford Animal Control
