Apparently, someone has put their cat
into a cat cage and thrown it into Bondi.
So into the water.
Someone’s pulled the cat out, police have taken it to the clinic,
"they're waiting there now and they need to talk to me,"
but we need to sort this cat out.
"It was completely drenched from head to toe"
and it's mucous membranes, so like, under it's lips was bright blue.
So we put it straight on oxygen and relatively quickly it
changed to a sort of pinky colour which is good.
Hello, how you going?
This cat had no chance if the people that were standing there
"didn't intervene and actually rescue the cat."
Water tonight would have been quite cold.
So the problem that we've got right
"now is the fact that we're battling hypothermia"
and just getting it’s temperature, we’re now on...
32.7, 32.8 degrees.
"Where normal it is around 38 to 39 degrees."
"So we're dramatically low and that's the biggest issue."
"We need to get direct access into its circulation"
"to deliver some drugs because right now, shock could kill this cat."
"It's strange just to keep on calling it cat"
but we still don’t have a name for it.
"The information we received was, we’ve arrested one person,"
the person that was arrested had indicated that, it was her animal,
it was her cat.
And that she was taking it... [inaudible]
So it sounds as though it's a deliberate act?
Yeah, okay.
So heart rates around 150 to 160.
"So it's high, which is a sign of stress."
This cats actually
"being in the water and been in deep, which is remarkable."
Cat carriers are meant to keep cats inside them they don't allow escape,
and this cat had no chance if the people that were standing there
"didn't intervene and actually rescue the cat."
"We got three main concerns, certainly hypothermia is a big one"
and that's shown by the low temperature
we're getting here right now.
Shock can kill cats.
You know you can't blame this cat
"for going through a lot of shock after what it's been through tonight."
But probably the biggest issue right now and also in
"the next few days is going to be aspiration pneumonia."
"It's taken on a lot of seawater into its lungs"
"that seawater isn't clean water, it does have bacteria in it."
And as a result, it's at risk of not only drowning in that fluid,
"but also getting an infection, getting pneumonia, which can kill."
Alright so nice and warm.
So they just go here.
We've got a heat pad underneath here.
"The towel covering it up and we're just trying to create"
"a real zone of heat around the cat from underneath, from the sides,"
"and then we put a towel over the top just to try and wrap in that heat."
What I'm looking for though, is these pupils
that were very dilated before.
We're trying to get a gradual decrease in their width.
And you see the tracking that they're looking at me now,
which is, good.
"The hope is that over time, it actually becomes"
a bit more aware of its surroundings.
So this is what's called a broad spectrum antibiotic.
We’re going to give this subcutaneously
underneath the skin.
"It's going to go into the system and try to kill off"
any bacteria that might go into the lungs via that seawater.
"Seawater isn't clean.
It has a lot of bugs in it,"
"and that seawater is currently sitting in the lungs."
"Now that’s a perfect environment for bacteria to breed."
And it would just be tragic if then,
" in a day's time it actually died from pneumonia."
"So this injections all about preventing that."
"The cats been in here for at least a couple of hours now."
"The one thing I want to do now is actually give it a diuretic,"
which is going to take the remaining fluid off it’s lungs.
"Its lungs sound better, but there is still fluid there."
"Now, I've been very gentle so far not to affect its blood pressure."
"This diaretic will take away the extra fluid sitting in its lungs"
"and hopefully mean that it can get through the night"
without any further respiratory distress.
And it's obviously
"a massive cliché, but the cat’s certainly"
used up one of its lives tonight.
It's not five, six, seven or eight.
"It's amazing.
It's here with us, it's amazing"
"it's doing well, but still it’s not out of the woods."
The big worry here is we actually stress him out even more,
but hopefully if we can just keep handling to a minimum,
he won't mind what we're doing and we can get away with this picture.
X-ray.
Right now I’d say around 60 to 70% of his lungs
are actually functioning.
"All this area through the middle here"
and also in the center of the lung here isn't working
because jam packed with the saltwater with that seawater.
If he was under for any longer
and it may just be a matter of seconds,
"probably one more breath, one more intake of that saltwater"
"would have filled up this area of lung with seawater, and he'd be dead"
right now.
We put the cat in,
in what's called sternal recumbency, which is,
because it’s sitting on it’s chest
"and you can see it is, a bit more alert."
We’re seeing a narrowing in those pupils too, they’re
not those big wide black moons that we saw before that
then narrowed right up.
"And I mean, he's quite confused about what's going on right now"
but the good thing is that, we’re certainly more bright and alert.
He's having a real hard time breathing.
He was having a harder time before.
He's gradually improving,
"but it must just be an awful feeling to not be able to get that air in."
"It would be similar to an asthma attack,"
only you’ve got the extra effect
of the fluid in there gurgling away.
"Add to that the stress of what he's been through"
and he's had one hell of a night.
So the temperature has been slowly increasing
which is a good thing.
Now, I just want to get another check,
and just hope that trend's continued.
Even just that tail movement’s a good thing.
"It's just showing that he's aware, he knows what he's doing and it's"
almost a playful tail in a way, which is nice.
And on the upside as well
we've got a temperature of 34.4,
so we’re just three and a bit degrees away from being a normal,
normal temperature.
So that's come up from from below 32.
"So that's a big increase in this time."
So that's a good sign, it’s a really good sign.
"I have in my mind the position I'd like him to be in"
which is, sitting on his chest
"but in these sort of circumstances, he's in charge,"
"he really is because he knows what body position he should be in"
to allowthe lung that is working to function at it’s best,
and that's why he's contorted himself
into this very strange position now,
because that's what works for him.
He feels as though he's getting the air in very effectively,
he’s sucking the air in beautifully.
"It's oxygenating his blood and he's happy, so far"
"be it for me to try and interfere in what he believes is best."
Police were alerted to a woman
standing at the edge of the ocean
pool at Bondi Beach last night by a concerned member of the public.
While the man was trying to help the woman,
she threw a cage into the water.
The man went to retrieve it before noticing there was a cat inside.
"- Oh, hello.
- Hi."
Morning.
"- How you going?
- Good."
Hello.
"- He looks good.
- Yeah."
How's he been during the night?
Well, he's getting a little bit feisty.
He seems to be a lot better,
"I suppose, yeah, because he hissed when I was"
trying to take his temperature.
"So I guess that does mean that he's slightly better."
I'd normally say bad cat but just this once I’ll let him get away with it.
"That’s good, that's actually good that he’s showing"
a bit of life and a bit of passion.
Remember last night his pupils wouldn't constrict?
He had these very wide pupils,
but there you can see they're responding to light
and narrowing up quite nicely.
"What you’re seeing there is the fact that the pathways"
between the eye and the brain and then back again
are working very well,
which is one of the indicators that there hasn't been brain damage
and that'd be one of the big risks
with what he's been through,
is the fact that being deprived of oxygen
like he was, that he could have
actually had some brain damage.
So last night we had those very loud, crackly
sounds in his lungs,
but now, I'm just hearing the very pleasant sound of just air
"rushing in, air rushing out with none of that that awful distortion"
and sound that we had last night.
In terms of the next 24 hours for him.
"I'm just looking for an improvement in his breathing, really,"
and try and take up any remaining water that's still in his lungs.
"His temperature has got to stay in the normal range."
The concern is that if it actually spikes and goes high,
"then that's an indicator he might have pneumonia"
"and that's his biggest issue for the next few days, is beating"
"any potential infection that could take hold in his lungs."
So, it's even though it doesn't look as though he's
repaying what we've done for him in the last 12 hours,
" I don't mind seeing that, it's showing"
that he’s got some life
"and personality is often the last thing to come back"
when they've been sick,
they're putting all their energy
"into into rebuilding their body organs and their energy levels."
So once he starts to show a bit of spirit,
you know, I'll cop a nail or two
"if it means that he's going to recover.
"
Okay mate, I'll see you later.
"You just sleep.
See ya buddy."
Alright, how’s he going Zara?
Ah, he seems okay, he's not very happy being here.
"- That's to be expected I think.
- Has he eaten?"
A little bit.
He has a little bit.
Not eating normally makes me a bit fiesty.
"- Yeah.
- So hopefully that’s all it is."
Let's see if we get a bit of a
listen to his chest.
Yeah his lungs sound...
They’re okay.
"- They clear?
- Yeah they’re pretty clear."
I wouldn't say they’re perfect yet.
I mean you can see that by the fact his respiratory rates
still a little bit high.
Still really nervous.
"- Yeah.
- Standoffish."
Yeah, maybe the chicken will do it.
He’s lickin his lips at least.
Yeah.
It's hot chicken too.
Let's not underestimate,
"- Yeah.
- The effort we’ve gone to here."
It's the real deal mate, it's...
You know it's not quite alfresco dining,
it's dining with a view.
Have you ever heard of anything like this before?
"No.
No, nothing like this."
It's quite horrifying, actually.
It's, you know, it's going to take time,
and you can see why.
"You poor thing.
You’re so pretty."
"- Yeah he’s a nice cat.
- Got a beautiful face."
"- Big fat face.
- Yeah."
Yeah.
When he first came in, understandably,
he was absolutely beside himself.
"He was very scared.
He didn't trust any people."
We couldn't get near him, in fact.
"Okay, there we go, you can grab him."
"- Oh!
- Off we go."
It's just a horrible thing to think of
that someone actually would throw a cat in the water in its cage,
at Bondi Beach it’s just horrendous.
"So hopefully we'll be able to get him a nice new home."
"It’s alright.
There you are."
"There we go.
Yeah."
I take that as the sound that he just doesn't want to leave us?
"- No, he doesn't.
- We’ve bonded haven’t we buddy?"
huh?
"Good boy.
Yes."
It’s alright, come on cat.
Do you think he's looking a little bit more round?
He is.
He looks much better.
You enjoyed the hospitality.
A little bit too much.
He's enjoyed it here.
He’s much more settled though than he was.
Okay his chest sounds great.
"- It's all fine.
- Oh good."
"He’s settled down though, hasn’t he?"
Oh, much better.
You couldn't pat him before.
Maybe you've learned to love again, buddy.
Yeah.
Now what do you reckon Zara,
we can't send him home without a name?
No we have to think of something.
I was thinking, and look feel free to
"- Knock it on the head.
- Say it awful?"
What about Hughie short for who Houdini.
Oh definitely, that suits you doesn’t it?
Are you going to be Houdini?
"Houdini had the great underwater escape trick."
"- He did too.
- And I gotta say little buddy,"
You probably rivaled him I reckon.
Yeah.
"It's obviously a very big day for our boy he's"
been through a hell of a lot and I guess
" he's put us through a little bit as well,"
"but everyone around here has really grown to love him."
"He is almost like that naughty kid you have at school"
"you can't help but like he dishes out a fair bit of punishment,"
but over time, he's certainly mellowed
and he's learned to trust us.
"It's actually a very special day for you."
You get to meet your new parents.
Woah, hey!
It's a new start for you.
It's great.
"He certainly needs a good home, a very caring home,"
a very understanding and very patient home
"and certainly his foster carer, Julie, fits all thosecriteria."
She's lovely and I think the two of them will get along just fine.
Here we go.
"- Is it a boy?
- It is."
Yeah.
So Julie, meet Hughie.
"Hughie!
Little man."
There you go little buddy.
Hughie, aren’t you beautiful.
"- He is very attractive.
- He’s very talkative."
I’m a bit biased,
but he’s a good looking cat.
"Oh yeah, Brown.
He’s beautiful."
Very handsome.
It’s already working out well.
He’s great.
"- I'm in love with him.
- Already?"
Yes, look at him he’s already...
He's already snuggling too.
Who’s a beautiful boy?
You're already aware of his history.
So just as I'm sure you would just take that into account
"he's going to be a little bit shy to start off with"
and for us it's great for him to go to such a great foster home.
"Thank you Chris, that’s good confidence in me."
I love cat’s.
He going to be well loved.
He'll have a lovely home,
"- Yeah. - and very safe."
Yeah.
I think he needs a bit of time to settle and I think he's been
tortured and traumatised.
But I think he's going to
"make a beautiful, loving cat from my household."
It’s time to go little buddy.
In fact go now.
That’s his goodbye.
For Hughie,
nothing would make me happier if he was just to be able to go
to this new home
"live with his new foster carer Julie and just really make a fresh start"
if he can put everything that happened before behind him
then the future looks great for him.
There's no reason why he can't have a beautiful life
and learn to love again.
Let’s go.
"- Okay Julie.
- Thank you, Chris."
Thank you.
I’ll be in touch I’ll let you know his progress.
I'd love to know how he goes.
Thank you so much, and thank you.
"- You’re welcome.
- See you Hughie."
"- Thank you.
- Bye Julie."
I'd like him to spend the next remainder of his years
"in a relaxed, loving environment, one that he's sure of,"
"he's not going to get knocked about or mistreated."
Come on Hughie.
He's a good boy, that’s right.
Come and tell me all about it.