(KTLA) - A Los Angeles woman who lost her home in the devastating firestorm that engulfed the Palisades experienced a tearful reunion over the weekend with her beloved cat, lost in the charred remains of the neighborhood for some two months.
Katherine Kiefer, 82, had continued to grieve the loss of her 5-year-old Maine Coon named Aggie, who disappeared in the flames that destroyed her home on Jan. 7.
“I was distraught about Aggie, fearing the worst,” Kiefer told Nexstar's KTLA. “I just thought she was gone.”
After nearly 60 days alone in the burnt-out rubble of the Palisades, volunteers found Aggie in bad shape, near starvation and very scared, but alive. The cat was rushed to an emergency veterinary hospital.
Kiefer got a call from the West Los Angeles Animal Shelter. Her daughter Carolyn Kiefer shared their reunion Saturday in a TikTok video that quickly garnered over 1 million likes. It shows tears pouring from Katherine Kiefer's eyes as Aggie curled up in her arms.
“It was Aggie, skin and bones,” Kiefer said. “I just don’t know how anyone could survive.”
Kiefer was at a medical appointment the day fire engulfed her neighborhood, and her children couldn't find Aggie — who was prone to hiding — when they tried to rescue her.
“The one thing my mom asked was: 'Did you get Aggie?'” Carolyn Kiefer recalls.
Aggie was gifted to Katherine Kiefer by a friend during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social media users have been so touched by the pair's reunion video that many have been asking for daily updates.
A GoFundMe has been organized to help with the cost of veterinary bills while Aggie recovers. The cat has undergone several blood transfusions and is now seeing a specialist.
The family will officially be reunited with Aggie when she is released from the hospital Thursday. Kiefer said she’s anxiously waiting, and she has a message for other pet owners: "Don’t underestimate cats,” she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.