Pet oxygen mask revives 'fire starter' cat Harriet
- Published
A cat which is thought to have started a fire in her owner's house has been revived using an oxygen mask designed especially for animals.
Shelley Hall, owner of tortoiseshell tabby Harriet, said she thinks her pet turned on a hot plate as she slid off a pile of ironing on the cooker.
She then fled upstairs in her Shropshire home, where she was rescued in a "poorly" state by fire crews.
The pet mask "perked her up and now she just smells of smoke", Ms Hall said.
The fire was at her home in Diksmuide Drive, Ellesmere.
Ms Hall said she managed to retrieve her other pets but the heavy smoke prevented her from finding 15-year-old Harriet.
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was the first time the specially-designed oxygen mask had been used to save an animal in the county.
It follows a campaign earlier this year by charity Smokey Paws to raise funds to buy enough masks for all 23 fire stations in Shropshire.