A pet cat has used up one of its nine lives after trapping itself in a washing machine while its owner put it on a 60 degrees Celcius cycle.
Bengal crossbreed Bobby climbed into the machine for a sleep, but was woken as the wash began - with vets saying he was “very lucky” to have survived the ordeal.
Owner Lisa Keefe, from the Meadows, Nottingham, England, said she immediately stopped the machine when she heard a loud thudding sound and found her beloved pet inside.
The nine-month-old cat was taken to Nottingham Pet Hospital on the verge of collapse. There he received IV fluids to treat shock.
Ms Keefe (47) said: “Bobby has been known to climb into the washing machine, so I always try to keep the door shut and keep him away when adding a new load, and check inside before turning it on.
“On this occasion I had actually taken him outside, but he must have snuck back inside when my back was turned and hidden under the duvet.
“As soon as I heard the noise, I asked my husband Kevin where Bobby was. I rushed to the machine and could see the colour of his fur mixed in with the quilt. I was petrified and raced to get him out.
“I think Bobby’s learned his lesson the hard way, he doesn’t go anywhere near the washer any more.
“But I’m still very careful and triple-check before turning it on.”
Treatment
Vet Tamsin Thomas said: "Bobby was on the verge of collapse as his body was soaked through and his temperature was dangerously low.
“We gently dried him out, kept him warm and gave him IV fluids to treat shock. We monitored him overnight, and within hours he had stabilised and was able to go home the next day.
“Bobby is very lucky. In my 15 years as a vet I’ve never seen a case like this and certainly never heard of a cat surviving a washing machine cycle.”
Bobby has now been nominated for a PDSA Pet Survivor award after the accident in June, with previous winners including Staffie Ziggy, of Hertfordshire, who was shot by a crossbow, and cat Robbie, from Croydon, who suffered extensive burns following a fire.
PA