Fire stations everywhere are a sort of magnet for stray cats. They come to investigate as cats will do, but will rarely stick around for cuddles. Firefighters will often try to approach these lonely kitties, hoping they can help them if needed, or at least give them some love before they dash away to new adventures.
In Greenville, South Carolina, the Belmont Fire Department was accustomed to roaming kitties. Two years ago, however, one special kitty was different from the rest.
The firefighters spotted the malnourished orange-striped cat and of course wanted to help. When one of them approached the tiny cat in the grass outside, it (surprisingly) didn’t run away. Instead, he immediately soaked in the love and was more friendly than they ever could have expected.
The poor orange cat was starving, so the engineer who found him went back to the station to find him some food. After a hearty meal, the cat was won over and he felt completely at home.
It didn’t take more than some good loving cuddles and yummy food for the cat to want to stay forever, and that’s exactly what he did!
The once starving, lonely orange kitty was named Flame and he became part of the family. Of course, nobody was sure what the Chief would have to say about this… Everyone was worried the poor kitty would once again be without a home.
Thankfully, the moment the chief walked in and saw the handsome and loving feline— he bent right over and started petting him, and of course, he fell in love too!
A fire station isn’t quite a place where you’d expect a cat to enjoy spending his time, but Flame is very different. He enjoys lazing around and watching everyone work.
He climbs on the trucks and greets the firefighters with kisses and cuddles when they come back. Of course, it’s a dirty job and Flame is no stranger to needing a bath after some cuddles with his ash-covered owners. Thankfully, Flame LOVES baths and is happy to be kept clean from the grime.
Flame quickly became Flame The Arson Cat. It was clear he was there to stay and needed a proper title. The Chief even began to work Flame’s food costs into the budget— but everyone was happy to pitch in their own money, as long as they got to keep him!
Flame has turned everyone at the station into a cat person—even if they weren’t one before!
Jordan Lide, a firefigther engineer, told ABC News, “You don’t realize [Flame’s] therapeutic until you’re playing with him and he starts rubbing up on you. It’s a mental break.”
“We’re on shift for 24 hours running calls and working, and we see the worst side of stuff sometimes, and the innocence of him, he just wants to be loved on and played with, and then you forget you were in a bad fire.”
Some of the workers even say he’s more like a dog than a cat. But Flame is just a very special breed with tons of love to give. He’s even won “Cat of the Year”!
