Two months after the Palisades Fire destroyed their home, a family has been reunited with their beloved pet cat. Aggie, a five-year-old Maine coon, was found injured but alive and is expected to return home this week.
Aggie was separated from Katherine Kiefer and her family when their house burned down in January. Despite suffering burns, malnourishment, and matted fur, she managed to survive in the rubble.
On Friday, exactly two months after the fire began, an animal control officer discovered Aggie weak and barely clinging to life near what was once the Kiefer family home on Bestor Boulevard. She was taken to the West LA Animal Shelter, where a microchip scan led to an emotional reunion with Kiefer.
Kiefer described the experience as surreal, saying she had been haunted by nightmares of Aggie struggling to survive. “I didn’t think I’d ever see her again,” she said. “There’s just such a connection, like you have with your children. She really means—I don’t want to say ‘everything’—but that’s the only word that comes to mind.”
Aggie remains in recovery after undergoing multiple blood transfusions. She is expected to be discharged on Thursday, when she will join the Kiefers at their temporary rental home.
Reflecting on Aggie’s resilience, Kiefer urged others to hold onto hope. “That cat really has nine lives… Just don’t give up hope. Don’t underestimate cats.”
To help cover Aggie’s medical expenses, the family has launched a GoFundMe campaign.
Last month, a woman wearing a “Palisades Strong” shirt has been arrested after looting homes destroyed in the California wildfires last month.
The Palisades and Eaton fires have left a trail of destruction across Los Angeles County, with nearly 12,000 structures damaged or destroyed. However, as residents work to clear debris and rebuild, criminals have been exploiting the disaster through looting.
