Moment Cat Rescued and Nursed Back to Health by Firefighters Goes Viral

The Dublin Fire Brigade has been lauded by animal lovers online after rescuing a cat from a house fire and nursing it back to health.

In a post to X, formerly Twitter, the official account @DubFireBrigade shared a photograph of a firefighter holding a cat in his arms, putting an oxygen mask up to its face.

Revealing the cat’s name was Biscuit, a spokesperson explained he was “rescued from a house fire” in the Ballyfermot area of the Irish capital.

The pet, who was unconscious, had been discovered by a Breathing Apparatus crew, who acted quickly to save its life.

They revealed: “Firefighter ‘paw’amedic carrick placed a pet oxygen mask on Biscuit and after 10 minutes, Biscuit was snuggling into its owner.”

In further happy news, the brigade revealed it had also rescued a dog and a pet budgerigar from the home, and they “didn’t require oxygen therapy.”

As they put it in their punderful post: “A ‘meeow’zing result!”

The Dublin Fire Brigade is trialing pet oxygen masks for its rescues, working to introduce the apparatus across the city.

The post had a huge reaction, racking up over 13,000 likes. One commenter praised the brigade and added: “A pet is part of the family and it’s only right to have the proper equipment to save their life in the event of a fire.”

Another agreed it was “brilliant, what a fantastic idea,” while a third wrote: “On behalf of cats everywhere, thank you, gentlemen.”

“Thank you for your kindness to animals,” one X user said, and another shared their own story: “My rescue kitty was actually rescued from a fire. Even had to have his singed ear trimmed surgically. Thanks to these caring firefighters.”

And as one user put it: “Congratulations with the carrying of pet masks, for some people their pet is the only friend they have in the world, and saving the pet is also a life saver for them.”

There are steps owners can take to help ensure their pet’s safety in the event of a house fire. According to a vet-reviewed article from PetMD, occupants of the home should have an emergency fire escape plan in place, which may include having carriers ready and knowing where your pet is located.

If it is not possible to locate your pet quickly in the event of an emergency, owners should get themselves out, letting the fire department know your pets are inside and where they may be.

Pet owners may also sign up for a pet first aid class, which can teach them safe mouth-to-mouth resuscitation of their pet.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.