A calico cat named ‘Api Bunga’ has become the only surviving animal from a devastating house fire in Jalan Tok Guru, Kota Bharu, that claimed the life of an elderly woman along with 70 cats and five dogs.
In a Facebook post, Api Bunga’s adopter, Nor Izyan Syahida, shared that the cat is currently receiving treatment at a veterinary clinic and is still recovering physically and emotionally, though her condition is gradually improving.
She also revealed that Api Bunga is pregnant.
World collapsed in an instant
Nor Izyan said the cat lost her home, owner and animal companions overnight, adding that her “whole world collapsed in an instant”, leaving her to carry on with injuries and trauma.
She further explained that the cat’s original name was “Mama”.
However, due to the urgency of the rescue, animal welfare groups that sent her to the veterinary clinic for registration and treatment temporarily named her “Api Bunga”, meaning “spark”, symbolising both the fire incident and her calico fur pattern.
Deadly fire
According to Sinar Harian, the tragic incident occurred on Sunday, when a fire broke out at the home of Norhaeda Azahari, along Jalan Tok Guru.
Norhaeda said she was in Pengkalan Chepa attending to work matters when she received a phone call at around 6pm, informing her that her house was on fire.
When I arrived, the flames were already raging,” she said. “I was shocked to learn that my adoptive mother, Fatimah Mat Said, had perished because she did not manage to save herself in time.”
She added that 70 cats kept in cages inside the house were killed in the blaze, while five stray dogs that she regularly fed and that roamed around the house also died.
Norhaeda also shared that her adoptive mother was elderly and had poor eyesight, although she was still able to walk.
“I’m still in shock because my loved one and all the animals I cherished were gone in an instant,” she said.
