Cat 'in critical condition' after getting washed for over 40 minutes in washing machine

Joshua Bote
Updated

A cat was left sick, concussed and temporarily blind after a trip in a washing machine spin cycle, needing the help of an oxygen machine to breathe.

Minnesota woman Stefani Carroll-Kirchoff was doing an extra-large load of laundry and forgot to close the door to the washing machine while folding clothes.

"I had checked the washer like I always do but turned my back to retrieve more clothes and he apparently went in then," Carroll-Kirchoff told USA TODAY. "The clothes were dark and he is dark and the room was dimly lit."

Immediately after the wash cycle was complete, she heard a meow and noticed a little paw sticking out of the washing machine drum: It belonged to her 1-year-old tabby kitty, Felix.

Felix was found with bruises on his body, wrote Carroll-Kirchoff's daughter, Asha Caroll Mccullough, in a GoFundMe page for Felix's recovery. Immediately after finding him, Caroll-Kirchoff took him to the emergency veterinarian.

"His heart rate and blood pressure dropped upon arrival, and it is suspected that he has hypothermia," wrote Carroll Mccullough.

After concerns that he wouldn't survive the traumatic accident, Felix is recovering from pulmonary edema, pneumonia, a concussion and temporary blindness caused by his run-in with the washing machine.

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Part of the recovery process requires him to be connected to an oxygen machine, as there is still water in Felix's lungs.

So far, the family has raised nearly $13,000 of its $15,000 GoFundMe goal to raise funds to cover the costs of care.

Fortunately, Carroll-Kirchoff chose the express wash. It takes less time and might have saved Felix's life.

Carroll-Kirchoff warns cat owners to double-check their washing machines before they run a load.

"Our family is traumatized for the rest of our lives," she told USA TODAY. "We love Felix more than words can say."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cat 'in critical condition' after getting washed for over 40 minutes in washing machine