Cat survives house blast
Vladimir found alive four days after family home destroyed in explosions
A CAT has been found injured but alive four days after an explosion destroyed a family home.
The McCormick family’s nine-year-old Vladimir was found on their next-door neighbour’s flat roof in Whale Island Way.
Vladimir, who had been missing since the blast, escaped with scorched paws and burned fur.
Dad Michael McCormick, 52, said his whole family was overjoyed at the discovery on Tuesday and the pet is due to make a full recovery.
It comes after a suspected gas explosion tore through the terraced home in Stamshaw on New Year’s Day, forcing Michael, his wife Montse, 45, and son Mark, 19, to flee.
Such was the force of the blast that a rear window was sent flying into a next door neighbour’s back garden, and a secure gun cabinet was propelled halfway down the back garden.
Neighbours initially thought the area, a stone’s throw from HM Naval Base Portsmouth, was under some sort of attack.
Up to nine explosions were heard at the home, starting at around midday.
Much of the house has been destroyed and the family-of-three are starting 2021 in a Travelodge hotel.
Michael said: ‘We can’t even start to describe how happy we are to find him.
‘His fur is scorched and he has lost his whiskers and some injuries to his gums and tongue and his paws are burnt quite badly.
‘The vet says he should make a full recovery but that we need to keep an eye on him for possible lung problems but when they checked he looked okay.’
More than £3,000 has been raised for the family, who had been frantically searching for Vladimir.
The cat was given the name as he looks like a vampire, the family said.
Vladimir was in the living room when the blasts started.
Michael added he thought the cat was l ying l ow at neighbour’s rooftop bar for a fe w days before he was found on the flat roof. ‘ He must have been hiding in his bar,’ Michael said.
Anyone can donate to the fundraiser for the family, set up by a friend.
See gofundme. com/f/6nmq9-1000 for more.