WELLAND,ONT. – That’s one tough Kitty.

Despite suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, smoke inhalation, and facing the possibility of brain damage and blindness, Kitty wasn’t ready to die.

The 17-year-old calico cat narrowly escaped death’s claws after a kitchen fire erupted in her owner’s Welland, Ont. apartment on March 31.

The day began with Joni-Lee Franyo, Kitty’s owner, travelling back and forth from the kitchen to her bedroom while doing some cooking - a mistake she’ll never make again.

Thanks to working smoke alarms in the home, Franyo and her five-year-old son made it out of the building in a flash, but Kitty was left behind.

Franyo credits the quick action of Welland Fire and Emergency Services, which responded on scene and retrieved the cat from the apartment.

The feline was suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning and smoke inhalation, and was barely clinging to life.

Firefighter Kevin Gifford recalled working on-scene to revive Kitty with a specially-sized oxygen mask, unsure whether she would be able to fight through her injuries.

When she was stable enough for transfer, the cat was rushed to the nearest veterinary hospital in the fire chief’s vehicle.

Once Kitty reached the hospital, Franyo was told she may have suffered brain damage and blindness as a result of her injuries and may not even make it through the night.

After a long night of uncertainty, Franyo was able to take Kitty home.

The only sign of her struggles seems to be a slight limp that is less noticeable each day, Franyo said about the cat, which has been part of her life since fourth grade.

Losing her home was hard, but losing Kitty, who she considers a family member, would have been devastating.

Gifford said he was happy he could help the family during such a difficult time.

“The effects of a fire are devastating, but losing a pet on top of that - some people consider their pet like a child,” he said. “We recognize that pets are important. If we have the opportunity to save any life, we’ll do what we can.”

Although firefighters receive no specific training on how to revive or treat pets on scene that have suffered injuries due to fire, they carry special “pet rescue” equipment to use when necessary, said Fire Chief Denys Prevost.

Franyo encouraged people to never leave food cooking unattended, and to ensure they have working smoke alarms in their homes.

“That’s what saved my life, my son’s life,” she said.