As Lincoln said at Gettysburg, the world will little remember the words spoken about that day, but they will remember the deeds. So it is with 9/11/01. Recently I ran across a little known story of that day which (without permission from the copyright owners) I thought deserved the telling, different as it is from the human stories, so I will tell you the source so you can get your own copy.
I was reading a small book “Miracle Cats, Inspiring True Tales of Remarkable Felines,” by Brad & Sherry Steiger, 2003, who have also authored similar books I have not read, Dog Miracles and Animal Miracles.
The last chapter about Cats relates the authors’ son and wife were miraculously minutes away from the Trade Center, thus escaped harm. Then wrote: “The many days, weeks, and months that followed the search-and-rescue efforts in the terrorist-ravished area continued to provide both ghastly and frightful images, as well of those of miraculous recoveries through the tireless efforts of the firemen and volunteer workers in the midst of the devastation and danger to their own lives. Although the media focused on the human lives involved, many other stories of pain and joy also came to light regarding the lives lost or saved of cherished and beloved pets. The following story is such an account.
“’This is the first good story I’ve heard’ said Suffolk County Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Chief, Roy Gross, referring to the rescue of Precious, a beautiful pedigree white Persian cat from the debris of a severely damaged apartment building across from the World Trade Center. Precious was taken to the nearby Suffolk County SPCA van that was on the scene to treat search-and-rescue dogs for exposure and exhaustion.
‘Precious was dubbed “the miracle kitty” by the New York Post when its October 18, 2001, issue reported the amazing story of survival. Precious had multiple injuries and was so dirty, confused, dazed, and dehydrated that SPCA Chief Gross could hardly believe the stamina of the cat to survive eighteen days without food. As he and others later determined, Precious had most likely drunk from pools of contaminated water atop the wreckage to stay alive.
‘D. J. Kerr, owner of Precious, told the New York Post, that the survival of her beloved cat was unbelievable. "It’s a miracle,” she said. “I can’t believe she is alive.” D.J. and her husband, Steve, had already experienced a miracle in that they were out of town when the tragedy occurred. After so many days and nights has passed, they had given up on their Precious, assuming she was dead.
‘The Kerrs had been out of town for a long weekend, and they had left Precious secure and safe in the care of a house sitter who was to have checked in on Precious at 10:00 on the morning of the terrorist attack. Sadly and needless to say, the house sitter didn’t make it, since the atrocity took place shortly after 9:00 am. Judging by the extent of the damage done to their apartment, the Kerrs didn’t see how their cat could have survived.
‘Their loft apartment in the seven-story apartment building on Liberty Street was in the direct blast and backlash from the Trade Center, and all the windows were completely blown out. Fire and water had ravaged the interior of the apartment and filled it with bits of metal, dust, and smoke. The Kerrs were told it would be a minimum of nine months before they could return to inhabit their once comfortable home.
‘Incredibly, emergency workers at Ground Zero told of someone hearing the meowing cries of a cat atop the apartment building on Saturday night, September 29, eighteen full days after the attack. Responding to the possibility of saving the cat, the workers sent a recovery dog to do some fancy maneuvering and to locate the cat, which was most likely injured, and bring it to safety.
‘The recovery dog did its duty, and soon a tattered cat was taken to the SPCA van. With burnt paws from the intense heat, her eyes badly damaged from flying debris, glass, metal, and dust, and having lost two of its nine pounds, Precious would recover from the harrowing ordeal and be reunited with her surprised and elated owners.
‘The Kerrs welcomed Precious home with her favorite treat, turkey. She ate turkey and drank water like she was making up for the eighteen days she managed to stay alive with no food or good water. Precious purred throughout her entire homecoming meal, contented to be with her loving owners. Precious, as a Persian, a breed said by some to be somewhat snooty and elitist, probably even overlooked the fact that it was a dog that carried her in its slobbery mouth from the top of the ruins to safety!
‘A heartfelt tribute and a great debt of gratitude go out to the wonderful people of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Their rescues of pets from homes, apartments, and buildings damaged or lost to the Manhattan terror attack goes far beyond the miracle of saving Precious the cat. Over 150 pets were rescued and treated for multiple injuries—primarily shock, dehydration, breathing problems, and burns. The ASPCA also set up a pet rescue hotline for concerned and worried owners, as well as counseling service for those individuals who weren’t as fortunate as the Kerrs were. The pets rescued included rabbits, dogs, reptiles, and of course cats!’”
My copy of the book, Miracle Cats, came to me through E. R. Hamilton Bookseller Company of Falls Village, CT 06031-0015. This company puts out catalogs on varieties of books, at reasonable prices, as well as reasonable shipping costs. I’ve been buying books from them for a number of years and have purchased most of my books on the Venona transcriptions through them. Try it, you’ll like them.
