When you think of a fire house pet, you probably picture a cute Dalmatian in a fireman’s hat, right? Well a fire house in Greenville, SC, decided to do things a little differently with their furry friend: an orange and white tabby cat, Flame.
He wandered into the Belmont Fire House when he was just a tiny kitten. The firefighters immediately took to him and unlike some of the other strays that the firefighters have taken care of in the past, Flame stuck around.
Two years later, Flame is a hit not only in the fire station, but also on social media. His Instagram account, @flamethearsoncat, has over 16k followers. Cat lovers from all over have sent gifts to this special kitty, including his own Flame-sized fire house.
Flame is more than just a social media star though. For the firefighters, he’s an important member of the family. When they have a tough day on the job, they know that Flame is always there to cheer them up.
“We see a lot of bad stuff,” said Fire Chief Anthony Segars, “and it’s like he knows, he can sense, that maybe they aren’t having a good day. And he will just rub up on them and sit in their lap, and be like, I’m here for you.”
Whenever the guys leave for a fire, Flame is waiting for them when they return. He’s been a therapeutic companion for these hardworking men, and his story just goes to show that sometimes saving an animal can also save you.
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