'Tough guy' cat leaps from burning Ore. house
BEND, Ore. (AP) — Kasper the cat is lucky to be alive.
Days after a fire tore through the home where Kasper lived with Beau and Diann Hollowell and their 5-year-old son, Tristan, the cat is recovering at the Animal Emergency Center.
He's undergoing treatment for burns over about 30 percent of his body. The flames burned off nearly all of his hair, and badly blistered the soft tissue on both his paws and ears. Tubes jut from his body — one threaded through a hole sliced in his throat supplies him with food, another provides a morphine drip in a cat-sized dose.
After losing nearly all of their possessions in Monday's fire, trying to keep Kasper alive is a way of hanging on to a piece of their lives, Diann Hollowell said.
The family members were away when the fire began late in the afternoon. By the time they arrived home, the fire had destroyed their back porch and the back side of the house, while the front rooms and everything inside them sustained extensive smoke damage.
A firefighter found Diann and asked for her help with the cat.
Kasper had been seen hopping out a window — located such that he would have had to pass through one of the hotter parts of the fire — and was found cowering behind a refrigerator in their undamaged carport.
Diann coaxed him out of his hiding place and took him straight to the Animal Emergency Center for treatment.
On Thursday, the Hollowells visited their cat for the first time since the fire.
"You're a tough guy, yes you are, you're a tough guy," Diann cooed, gently scratching Kasper behind the ears.
Kasper likely will spend at least another week at the center. The bandages on all four of his legs need to be changed daily, he'll need to stay under sedation, and he will require regular blood tests to monitor his progress.
Dr. Chad Moles, the veterinarian overseeing the treatments, said Kasper could require another month or two of lower-level medical attention, possibly at the home of a clinic employee, before he can go home.
Moles said Kasper's prognosis is good, provided he can avoid respiratory problems over the next few days, but his treatment could still run several thousand dollars.
Bend-based nonprofit 31Paws has teamed up with the Animal Emergency Center to help the Hollowells cover the cost of Kasper's treatment, and will match the first $500 donated on Kasper's behalf.
Beau, 27, is an RV technician, while Diann, 26, works as a receptionist at an optometrist's office. The family had no insurance for the belongings inside their rented house.
Tristan, a kindergartner, has yet to see Kasper or what remains of the family's home. For now, the family is staying in a travel trailer parked at a relative's home, and Diann said Tristan is willing to view living in the trailer as a camping trip for now.
Beau said he and his wife got Kasper as a kitten as a gift for Tristan just over a year ago, and getting him back on his feet should be a big boost for their son's spirits as the family figures out what to do next.
Despite the heavy sedation and his obvious injuries, Beau said he could see a little bit of Kasper's personality peeking through Thursday at the Animal Emergency Center. Before the fire, they'd come to think of him as "a dog trapped in a cat's body," Beau said.
"He's more of a dog than he is a cat, all in all," he said. "He's more prone to being a dog — he'll come to a whistle, he'll fetch stuff, you can throw something and he'll bring it back to you. It's kind of cool."
Days after a fire tore through the home where Kasper lived with Beau and Diann Hollowell and their 5-year-old son, Tristan, the cat is recovering at the Animal Emergency Center.
He's undergoing treatment for burns over about 30 percent of his body. The flames burned off nearly all of his hair, and badly blistered the soft tissue on both his paws and ears. Tubes jut from his body — one threaded through a hole sliced in his throat supplies him with food, another provides a morphine drip in a cat-sized dose.
After losing nearly all of their possessions in Monday's fire, trying to keep Kasper alive is a way of hanging on to a piece of their lives, Diann Hollowell said.
The family members were away when the fire began late in the afternoon. By the time they arrived home, the fire had destroyed their back porch and the back side of the house, while the front rooms and everything inside them sustained extensive smoke damage.
A firefighter found Diann and asked for her help with the cat.
Kasper had been seen hopping out a window — located such that he would have had to pass through one of the hotter parts of the fire — and was found cowering behind a refrigerator in their undamaged carport.
Diann coaxed him out of his hiding place and took him straight to the Animal Emergency Center for treatment.
On Thursday, the Hollowells visited their cat for the first time since the fire.
"You're a tough guy, yes you are, you're a tough guy," Diann cooed, gently scratching Kasper behind the ears.
Kasper likely will spend at least another week at the center. The bandages on all four of his legs need to be changed daily, he'll need to stay under sedation, and he will require regular blood tests to monitor his progress.
Dr. Chad Moles, the veterinarian overseeing the treatments, said Kasper could require another month or two of lower-level medical attention, possibly at the home of a clinic employee, before he can go home.
Moles said Kasper's prognosis is good, provided he can avoid respiratory problems over the next few days, but his treatment could still run several thousand dollars.
Bend-based nonprofit 31Paws has teamed up with the Animal Emergency Center to help the Hollowells cover the cost of Kasper's treatment, and will match the first $500 donated on Kasper's behalf.
Beau, 27, is an RV technician, while Diann, 26, works as a receptionist at an optometrist's office. The family had no insurance for the belongings inside their rented house.
Tristan, a kindergartner, has yet to see Kasper or what remains of the family's home. For now, the family is staying in a travel trailer parked at a relative's home, and Diann said Tristan is willing to view living in the trailer as a camping trip for now.
Beau said he and his wife got Kasper as a kitten as a gift for Tristan just over a year ago, and getting him back on his feet should be a big boost for their son's spirits as the family figures out what to do next.
Despite the heavy sedation and his obvious injuries, Beau said he could see a little bit of Kasper's personality peeking through Thursday at the Animal Emergency Center. Before the fire, they'd come to think of him as "a dog trapped in a cat's body," Beau said.
"He's more of a dog than he is a cat, all in all," he said. "He's more prone to being a dog — he'll come to a whistle, he'll fetch stuff, you can throw something and he'll bring it back to you. It's kind of cool."
Koodos to Kasper's loving family. This story on Kasper really touched my heart; I pray he will heal quickly, and that the family will find a new home soon and they can all be reunited. (My kitty, too, behaves more like a dog than a cat. I call her my "kittenese". She comes when we whistle, runs to the door to greet us when we've been away, and then stands up on her hind feet to have her head scratched.) So sad to hear the family didn't have homeowner's insurance; some people aren't aware how affordable it is. We're seniors who rent and live on a very modest income, but we can't afford NOT to have homeowners; ours cost under $15 a month.Â
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I'm so sorry this dear family has suffered material loss and learned the hard way the importance of homeowner's insurance. Thankfully, however, family members are alive and safe  - including precious Kasper.Â
Here is hoping that Kasper makes a full recovery!
Kasper will be fine. He is not suffering very much if he's on morphine! It looks like he is good hands where he'll get the care he needs, and will have a full recovery.
Aww poor kitty! I hope you recover soon!
That picture breaks my heart bhowever I have to wonder how much he is suffering. Are they keeping him alive for their benefit because it kind of sounds like it. I mean look at him. If you could ease someone's suffering wouldn't you?
Why put down an animal if they can be saved? The vet is doing everything they can to keep this cat comfortable. If that was a human, would you be saying the same thing? Some people, including myself, see our pets as FAMILY. That family has lost everything and if they can save their beloved cat then good on them.
The article doesn't mention how to donate toward's Kasper's care. I found a link for 31Paws, though. They take Paypal donations and perhaps the donor can state it's for Kasper:Â http://31paws.org/donate.html
 @Niko Okamoto Yes, just write a message or as paypal states leave "instuctions" stating that the donation is to go towards Kasper's medical bills and care.
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Poor sweet baby!!! Please get better soon!
Well, this story got my eyes tearing up. I pray for Kasper that he heals quickly with no long term damage and I pray for the family they can get back on their feet soon. I also pray that they get rental insurance NOW for whatever they live in at the moment and in the future. So many people don't understand you can cover all of your belongings for less than $15 a month. When I hear some people I know(even in my family) say they can't afford $15 a months, my reply to them is "In the scope of things, $15 per month is less than your pack a day cigarettes, daily Starbucks, weekly case of beer/soda and one date night with your spouse/partner. Add up all of the cost to replace every single item in your house and then tell me you can't afford $15 a month."
ok KOMO get a fund set up not only for Kasper but whatever they get that doesn't go to the cats bills hould go to helping the family rebuild. I know renters insurance is fairly cheap- but for some even that $20 or so a month is out of the budget.  My cat says we have some extra this week to donate to Kasper- he is sitting here walking back and forth from the bedroom to the livingroom waiting to go to bed.Â
The story and especially the pic made me cry (made me hug my own cat even more) - hopes that Kasper recovers soon.
How awful  for Kasper. I hope he gets the care he needs and recovers quickly. It looks so painful. Wish there were a way to donate and help this little guy.
Get better Kasper - you are one unbelievable kitty!
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Aww keep fighting Kitty!!! What a tough guy.
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And please folks... Renters insurance costs a few dollars a day... it's SO cheap! Â And so worth i!!
This pic breaks my heart. Poor Kasper. Hang in there!
Kasper is an extremely luckly little guy. Guess this is 1 of 9 lives, but he has a family that loves him and people that are praying for his recovery. God Bless all Gods creatures big and small!
Oh man, I really hope and pray that cat makes a good recovery. Just seeing that pic just makes me sink. Looks more like a bulldog! At least he's survived and alright. Gonna hug & snuggle my cat as soon as I see her now.
Animals are amazingly resilient, now that Kasper is getting the care he needs he has a good chance of a reasonably fair recovery.Â
Hope the little guy makes it.