More than $12,000 is raised for injured cat in Maplewood

If cats have nine lives, Maplewood feline Felix might be down to eight.

The tuxedo cat was found last Wednesday inside his owner Stefani Carroll-Kirchoff's washing machine, having ridden out the entirety of a wash cycle, according to the GoFundMe page set up by her daughter, Asha Carroll McCullough, to cover Felix's hospital bills. The cat survived the ordeal, but emerged bruised, blinded and barely breathing. An entry on the page describes what happened:

"Three hours ago, my family's one-year-old cat, Felix, was found inside their washing machine after a wash. He had just survived inside the washing machine through the duration a 35-minute wash cycle, unbeknownst to them. When my mom found him, he was soaking wet and barely breathing, confused and unable to see, with bruises all over his body. My mom, grandpa, and brother rushed Felix to the emergency vet, where he is right now, in critical condition. He has fluid in his lungs and is connected to oxygen. His heart rate and blood pressure dropped upon arrival, and it is suspected that he has hypothermia. He is experiencing blindness, which could be temporary or permanent; only time will tell."

The family thinks Felix hopped into the washer drum while Carroll-Kirchoff wasn't looking. To help cover the cost of Felix's recovery, a GoFundMe page set a goal of $15,000. By Tuesday at 9 p.m., 523 people had raised $15,330 for the cat's care.

Felix is now under veterinary care at Animal Emergency and Referral Center of Minnesota in Oakdale, where the family hopes he will regain his sight and full lung and brain function. An update on the GoFundMe page indicates that Felix's condition is improving but a release date has not been set.

Hannah Sayle • 612-673-7185