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A ‘miracle’ on ice: Good Samaritans save blind, elderly cat from frozen pond in Westford
“There is no doubt that we would not have made it in time to save this old man,” Westford Animal Control said of cat Tiki.
Bystanders in Westford rescued a cat that was trapped on a piece of ice in the middle of Nabnasset Lake on Monday morning, Westford Animal Control said.
A “panicked” passerby called the Westford Police Department on Dec. 16 reporting the cat stranded on the frozen lake, Westford Animal Control said in a Facebook post.
The cat was between 30 to 40 feet offshore near Fletcher Lane and was walking in a circle on a small piece of ice, Animal Control said. The caller told Animal Control she heard the ice cracking below the cat’s feet, watched the ice break, and saw the cat submerged in the cold water.
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Two good Samaritans, Krist and Nate, were doing construction at a home on Fletcher Lane when they noticed the cat and “immediately took action,” the post said. According to Animal Control, Nate got in a nearby rowboat while Kris pushed behind him. Nate broke the ice with a shovel as he maneuvered toward the cat, the post said.
“He quickly accessed the cat and plucked him from the water moments before he surely would have succumbed to the frigid cold,” the post said. “The cat was taken indoors, toweled off and wrapped up in blankets.”
Rescued cat is blind, owners told Animal Control
Animal Control arrived at the lake soon after, and said they found the cat “shivering, lethargic, and in shock.” They took the cat to veterinary care, where the post said his body temperature was too low to register on a thermometer.
The post said Animal Control began an “urgent” search for the cat’s owners as the pet received medical care. Later that day, a Birch Road resident reached out to Animal Control saying the cat was their furry friend.
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The cat, named Tiki, had gotten out sometime overnight, the owner explained to Animal Control. The owner also told Animal Control that Tiki is 20 years old and blind.
Animal Control said they think a predator chased Tiki onto the ice overnight, where the cat stayed until his rescue. The post called the rescue “nothing short of a miracle.” Animal Control thanked the bystander, Dawn, along with Kris and Nick for their help.
“There is no doubt that we would not have made it in time to save this old man,” the post said.
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