Senior cat that survived 400-foot fall finds new home with pilot who rescued her

Mirage, the senior cat who survived a fatal, 400- foot fall that killed both of her owners at Utah’s Bryce Canyon, has found her new home with the pilot who has now rescued her twice.

Chelsea Tugaw and Mirage, via Best Friends Animal Society.

The story came full circle when Chelsea Tugaw, the search and rescue pilot from that fateful day, arrived at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah - headquarters for leading national animal welfare organization Best Friends Animal Society.

“I’m so ecstatic to be tak­ing Mirage home. I hope I can give her the perfect retirement life and let her be a nice lazy cat in her old age,” Tugaw said.

While at the Sanctuary, Tugaw recounted the har­rowing circumstances of finding Mirage while she was flying in Southern Utah, instead of her usual Salt Lake route.

According to Tugaw’s account, during the rescue a specialist on the mis­sion picked up what they thought was a backpack. It was only then that they discovered it was actually a dirt-covered pet carrier with a cat inside.

“We couldn’t believe the cat was alive. I thought she was injured and was uncertain of her future,” Tugaw said. “It gave me a lot of comfort when I found out she was going to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary to get the help she needed.”

Once she arrived at the Sanctuary, the Best Friends medical team determined her to be approximately 12 years old. Staff named her Mirage, because sur­viving a fall like that was unreal.

X-rays of Mirage revealed a few broken ribs and teeth. However, the team started to notice additional concerns regarding her heart and took her to a specialty veterinary hospital four hours away in Las Vegas. There, she was treated for fluid around her heart, which was likely caused by trauma from the fall. After stabiliz­ing, she was deter­mined to be healthy and returned to Best Friends Animal Sanc­tuary.

Following the tragic deaths of Mirage’s owners, Best Friends was in touch with their next of kin. While they were unable to adopt Mirage themselves, they wholeheartedly gave their blessing for Tugaw to adopt her.

“I just hope she knows she’s going to a really loving home and that it’ll be her final home,” Tugaw said. “I encourage people to adopt pets, especially seniors like Mirage, from a local shelter. Every one of them has a unique back story and would love to be in a home again.”