Miracle Cat Survives 11 Days After Apartment Fire

It's a well-known myth that cats have nine lives, but one orange and white Tabby may very well have used up all of hers.

Maxi was miraculously found safe and sound Monday without any burns or signs of smoke inhalation 11 days after the Lake Pointe Village Apartment Fire. 

Dale Moore, Maxi's owner, had given up hope of finding her alive. 

Moore and his wife lived in the upper apartment unit, farthest from where the fire started. They lost pretty much everything in the fire, including the life of one of their four cats. Firefighters found two alive hiding under the bed. That left just Maxi unaccounted for. 

Moore said he had put up missing posters throughout the area, but assumed she was buried somewhere in the rubble. 

On Monday, he received a phone call from the apartment manager.

"What happened is that a lady across the way was praying and saw a cat walking around inside the apartment below ours," Moore said. "So management went in and found her after about a half hour. They called me and told me they found our cat and I was just like 'thank you, at least now we have closure,' but they told me that no, she was alive."

Maxi was taken to the Parkway Vet Clinic next door to the apartment complex and received a clean bill of health.

According to Moore, the vet told him that being a heavier cat is probably what saved Maxi's life. She dropped from 13 pounds to about 10 pounds, he said. 

Moore speculates that Maxi must have gotten free after firefighters kicked in the door and hid out in the basement of the building for awhile. 

She is now resting and readjusting to her new surroundings with her family in Moore's parents house in Wayne. 

"We're saving money to get back on our feet," he said.

Moore and his wife were up in Mt. Pleasant when the fire started, celebrating her birthday. They weren't aware of what had happened until he received a call from a family member. Then one quick call to Lake Pointe Village Apartments ended the celebrations when Moore confirmed it was indeed their building that was damaged.

Plymouth Township Fire Chief Mark Wendel said the final report was submitted and the fire is believed to have been accidental.

The fire department was not able to identify the cause of the fire, but was able to isolate the kitchen as where it began, Wendel said. 

The apartment building has been turned back over to the management, who is assisting residents in retrieving salvageable possessions.