Amid all the chaos and carnage of Hurricane Helene, one cat faced her own survival story and had to depend on her feline reflexes in order to survive.
A North Carolina family thought their pet cat Ricardo Blanco had finally run out of nine lives. The poor feline ended up in the middle of the flood when Helene brought a downpour in Burnsville. According to a news release from the Best Friend's Animal Society, the cat's owners could do little but watch as the poor animal struggled.
It had attempted to climb onto a neighbor's roof for safety as the floodwaters flowed all around it. Unfortunately, the animal eventually lost its footing on the roof and fell into the floodwaters. It disappeared into the waters, and the family thought the animal had perished. That's where things get strange.
Fast forward a week, and the family had returned home. They had been forced to flee their house following Helene's damage. Upon arriving home, they found their beloved cat waiting on them. Somehow, the animal had survived. We can only guess what it had gone through. But its reflexes kept the animal alive.
Cat Survives
Nan Collins, the cat's owner, said that the family was glad to see the animal.
"He's doing fine, playing and doing all the normal stuff," Collins told the Best Friend's Animal Society. She added, "His full name is Ricardo Blanco because he's like a little movie actor, so full of life and playful. He's like a puppy dog and wants to be beside you and take a walk."
Following its miraculous return, the family treated Ricardo for both an ear and eye infection. The animal also had a few ticks from surviving in the wild as well.
"There are so many stories just like that of Ricardo Blanco and his family throughout western North Carolina," said Audrey Lodato, Director of Regional Programs for the Best Friends Animal Society.
"By opening a free mobile clinic, Best Friends Animal Society is working to fill a gap for services, providing basic veterinary care to the Western North Carolina community at no cost so that people and their pets can stay together during this difficult time," she continued.
