Cat Frozen In Snow Makes Miraculous Recovery After Veterinarians Spend Hours Fighting For Her Life

When Fluffy the cat arrived at the animal clinic it didn't look good. Found in a snow bank in Montana, Fluffy was unresponsive and had her fur matted with ice. The veterinarians, however, refused to give up on her.

"When we saw Fluffy, I would have to say that our initial thoughts were that of any other patient in distress," Andrea Dutter, the Executive Director of the Animal Clinic of Kalispell told Bored Panda. "All hands on deck and let's thaw this sweet baby girl out!  In moments like this, you have to take it one minute at a time."

When the staff measured Fluffy's temperature at the clinic, it was so low, it didn't even register on a thermometer with a bottom range of 90 degrees.  To put that into perspective, cats' normal body temperature is somewhere around 101 degrees.

"Fluffy had a heartbeat the whole time," Dutter added. "She never was pronounced dead - just REALLY cold, nearly frozen. We began thawing her out right away with different methods, starting with warm water running over her to melt the snow and ice. Then we used warm towels from the dryer that we rotated out, we used hair dryers, heating pads, and then when her temp was up enough we were able to get a catheter in her to start IV fluids."

After two long hours of using warm water and blankets, Fluffy's temperature was still too low, so they took her to the emergency room. There, after a few more hours, it finally began to rise. Eventually, the furball fully recovered.

"We are never given any guarantee that any method of medical attention will be successful (no matter what species you are). In Fluffy's case, she is fortunate to be young (3 years old) and healthy. She had a will to survive and she has proven that to us, and the world."

The most important thing that helped Fluffy get back on her feet was that her owners didn't hesitate when they came home and found her. "They did the right thing. They immediately brought her to us. Her owners love her and care a lot about her, as do we. They knew and trusted that bringing Fluffy to her doctor(s) was her best option. It was an awful situation, but everything fell in line perfectly to allow her to have a remarkable recovery."

Now, Fluffy is back at home with her humans, enjoying life to the fullest.

"We truly hope that Fluffy's story can help other pet owners be aware of ways to help their indoor and outdoor pets stay safe and the importance of seeking medical attention right away vs attempting to treat their pets on their own. Our doctors and staff didn't do anything different than any other veterinarian and team would do. We (and Fluffy!) are grateful for Fluffy's owners for acting quickly in a scary situation."

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