'This cat wanted to live:' Terlton cat survives wildfires

One of the victims of the Terlton wildfires is on the mend.

Ziggy the cat was found in the aftermath of the fires three weeks ago and is now recovering at an animal hospital in Jenks.

Vets say they were worried he wouldn't survive his injuries, but they say he's a fighter.

On the mend

Food, pets, and naps have all become part of Ziggy the cat's daily routine.

Given his appearance, you wouldn't think this cat would be so chill.

Catastrophic beginnings

Ziggy was a stray, but he was found badly hurt in the aftermath of the Terlton wildfires.

"I get a call from Woodland West, and they said, Can you help a cat that's been in a fire?" said Jamee Suarez with Oklahoma Animal Alliance. They've helped cats like this before, and she had seen posts about Ziggy on social media.

"And I said, What color is it? They said it was yellow. I said, 'Oh, my God, it's got to be the same cat,'" she said.

They were able to raise the funds for Ziggy's vet bills in just 24 hours.

"The whole nine lives thing is, is true. I mean, he, yeah, he's only down one. He still has eight left after this," said Kimberly Clark, Ziggy's vet.

She makes sure Ziggy has his pain medicine, clean bandages, and is eating enough to fully recover.

"I mean, this is going to be a long road for him, but he's he's really happy and doing well for us," she said.

New lease on life

Ziggy's life will forever be split; his life without a home.

"You get people that say, 'Why are you letting this cat live?'" said Suarez.

And what's next life, filled with the love of strangers.

"And I have to kind of settle down a little bit and say, well, because this cat wanted to live, you know, and if we had the means to do it, why can't we do that, you know?" she said.

Oklahoma Animal Alliance says Ziggy still has a journey ahead but is making steady progress each day. Last night, his vet, Dr. Clark, expressed her amazement that Ziggy is already attempting to walk!

Ziggy will be available for adoption after he's made a full recovery.