Tiki, a 20-year-old blind black-and-white cat, likes to roam about outdoors. But this time he caused a scare after he was seen on ice floating in a Massachusetts pond and then fell in.
He has an alert passerby and a couple of nearby construction workers to thank for his rescue.
鈥淭he crackling happened, and I was like, hysterical,鈥 passerby Dawn Felicani recalled Thursday. 鈥淎nd all of a sudden, it fell in! It's little head was sticking out! I鈥檓 in tears, and I鈥檓 freaking out.鈥
She called first responders and a local animal control officer in Westford on Monday. One of two construction workers at a neighboring house hopped into a rowboat and the other pushed him out and helped him navigate Nabnasset Pond. The worker in the boat used a shovel as he moved to break through the ice and fetched him from the water.
Tiki was taken inside, toweled off and wrapped in blankets.
Animal control officer Kirsten Hirschler said in a news release that Tiki was shivering, lethargic and in shock. He was taken to a veterinarian. She said that his temperature was so low 鈥渋t didn't even register on the thermometer.鈥
She said she believed that Tiki might have been chased onto the ice by a predator and found himself stuck there. He usually doesn鈥檛 venture that far, his owner John Arden said Thursday.
Tiki is doing well and is acting like nothing ever happened, Arden said.
He and his wife have owned Tiki since he was a kitten. He's been blind for about a year, but still gets about fine.
鈥淗e's pretty annoyed that he can't go back outside,鈥 Arden said.
