Farmington cat finds Facebook fame

FARMINGTON – A Farmington cat has unknowingly gone viral, thanks to a little help from the local police force and the power of Facebook.

When Officer Jesse Clement provided oxygen to an unresponsive cat he never thought a picture of the event would be shared 400 times on Facebook.

“I definitely didn’t expect it to go that far, that fast,” Clement said.

Clement was on scene at a house fire on Davis Road when Farmington Fireman Joe Hastings handed him the two pound, five-month-old tabby cat, Chloe. Hastings found Chloe under the bed in the upstairs bedroom where the fire is suspected to have started. She had suffered severe smoke inhalation and was not breathing when handed to Clement, he said. Clement then utilized the animal oxygen mask to help resuscitate the cat, as a fellow officer snapped a picture for the FPD Facebook page.

The post of Clement holding the oxygen mask over Chloe’s face, ultimately saving her life, spread across social media quickly, gaining 400 shares and nearly 100 comments such as “protecting and serving ALL of our community,” “a purrrfect job,” and “actions like this make the world a better place.”

Chloe, who has made a full recovery, has handled the news of her newly found fame with style, grace and a new Instagram account.

“Let me check her Insta. Yes. Oh my gosh, she has 37 followers,” Chloe’s 8-year-old owner Izzy Campbell-Huddleston reported.

Izzy was distraught at the scene of the fire, knowing that her newly adopted kitten was inside.

“I had been begging for a kitten since 2016. Finally my mom said if it would make me happy we could just get one,” she said.

Izzy adopted Chloe from the Franklin County Animal Shelter. The fire was not the feline’s first use of one of her nine lives. Izzy said Chloe was sick from the beginning, and she had to wait several weeks before being able to adopt her.

When the family heard a big crash on the evening of Jan. 9 they assumed it was Chloe playing around upstairs.

“We thought maybe the mirror had fallen and broken, which would have really sucked,” Izzy recalled.

As soon as the family realized what was happening they ran outside, at which point Izzy realized Chloe was still inside.

“I attempted to go in the house to get her but my mom wouldn’t let me,” she said.

When Clement handed the recovered Chloe over, Izzy said she couldn’t stop crying.

“We’re going to make cookies for him as soon as we have a kitchen again,” she said.

The house was not a total loss, Izzy’s mother said, and they expect to move back in within a few months. For now the family is staying at a local hotel, while Chloe stays with friends.

“I miss her so much. But she’s doing amazing,” Izzy said.

Chloe can be found on Instagram by clicking here. Two fundraisers will be held at Izzy’s school, a bake sale and a “hat day.” To donate to the cause contact Cascade Brook School at 778-4821.