Family left with $7,000 vet bill after cat survives 11th-floor plunge
Eva Abdul Khalek is grateful. Her cat Luigi survived a fall from their 11th-floor balcony. The family believes the cat snuck out, likely through the balcony door that was left open.
"My mom heard a noise and she just couldn't find [Luigi] so she was like, 'maybe the noise was him.' So she got a flashlight and she was trying to see downstairs. And she was yelling his name," says Abdul Khalek.
After repeatedly calling for Luigi, he was found in a tree outside their apartment building.
"He was hyperventilating. So his mouth was open [...] he couldn't move. I wrapped him up in a blanket and took him to the urgent hospital. And as soon as we got there, they took him in instantly," Abdul Khalek told CTV.
The two-year-old cat was hospitalized overnight. He suffered broken bones in his lower body and internal bleeding in his lungs and had to undergo surgery.
The family says that while they are relieved to have him back home, they admit the incident left them with a hefty bill to the tune of over $ 7,000.
"I actually did GoFundMe [...] so I taped him and also put proof of every bill," the 18-year-old says.
She hopes Luigi's story will serve as a cautionary tale.
"Cats are very, very sneaky. So you can't leave them on their own. For all cat owners, you have to make sure that they don't get out," she added.
Abdul Khalek also says she'll be keeping a closer eye on Luigi, calling his survival a "miracle."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Israel presses forward on two fronts as fears of a wider war mount
Israel pressed forward on two fronts Wednesday, pursuing a ground incursion into Lebanon against Hezbollah and conducting strikes in Gaza that killed dozens, including children.
B.C. man ordered to pay damages for defamatory Google review
A B.C. man has been ordered to pay a total of $4,000 to a Coquitlam company and its two owners because of a negative review he posted on Google.
Albertan first Canadian veteran to compete in Mrs. Universe pageant
In less than a year, an Alberta woman has gone from gracing the stage at her first pageant to competing at the Mrs. Universe pageant in South Korea. She's making history by becoming the first Canadian veteran to compete internationally.
Bloc leader says ultimatum stands after Liberals vote against motion seeking boost to seniors' benefits
Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet says his ultimatum to the government stands, after the Liberals voted against a motion seeking money to boost seniors' benefits on Wednesday.
Northern Ont. trial begins with shocking details about murder scene
The jury at the trial of a second-degree murder suspect in Sudbury on Wednesday heard graphic details of the crime scene discovered in a Kathleen Street apartment on Boxing Day 2020.
Cop in hospital after being shot in midtown Toronto; shooter in custody
Three suspects are now in custody, including the person who police say shot and injured an officer during a robbery investigation in midtown Toronto on Wednesday afternoon.
Japan airport shut after likely Second World War-era bomb explodes near runway, 87 flights cancelled
A regional airport in southwest Japan was closed on Wednesday after a U.S. bombshell, likely dropped during the Second World War to stem "kamikaze" attacks, exploded near its runway, causing nearly 90 flight cancellations.
Scientists discover large cold-water soft coral garden in Newfoundland
A project team from Newfoundland's Marine Institute has uncovered a nearly 10,000-square-metre cold-water soft coral garden, hidden just underneath the surface of the province's Funk Island Deep.
Canadian figure skater suspended at least 6 years for 'sexual maltreatment'
Canadian figure skater Nikolaj Sorensen has been suspended for at least six years for 'sexual maltreatment,' the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner announced Wednesday.