COLUMBUS, Ind. – The Columbus Fire Department (CFD) located the missing 14-year-old calico cat, “Prila,” at around 3:40 on Tuesday afternoon, and returned her to her owner, Debbie Spurgeon. Prila had no obvious signs of injury but the owner was advised to contact the cat’s veterinarian for assessment.
Prila had been missing since Saturday evening when firefighters battled a large structure fire in downtown Columbus at the Irwin Block building. Spurgeon has been in communication with the fire department to request updates on possible sightings. The owner said that she had also contacted local animal shelters to no avail.
Spurgeon reached out to CFD on Tuesday morning to ask if crews could put out a food dish with treats at the entrance of the building to potentially coax the cat to exit. The items were placed and Spurgeon called Prila’s name. Soon, a barely audible “meow” was heard and the cat emerged seemingly unharmed. She was returned to the owner.
It was the second cat rescued from the two buildings involved in the fire. The first cat, Shimmer, was found and reunited with her owner early Sunday morning. That kitty was also not hurt in the blaze.
