The nomination "Our Brothers": The moustachioed "fire department boss" saved a dying domestic cat.
The story of the "fraternal" blood that took place in the spring of 2025 was told by KP-Rostov journalists. Vasily Bachkal, the head of the Rostov fire department, sheltered a red-tailed cat many years ago, which he found with children on the street. Murzik the cat lived happily in the family for almost 9 years. During this time, they moved to Novocherkassk, where the head of the family also began working as a firefighter. This saved the tailed one, because it was a combination of circumstances (service in the fire department and love for cats) that played a role.
Once, a well-fed Murzik suddenly refused food and water, and the animal began vomiting. The veterinary clinic found out that the cat has a serious intestinal infection. And they didn't let him go home anymore: they put him in an oxygen box and put ivs. But the treatment did not help, Murzik was fading away before our eyes. The specialists told the owners that they urgently needed a donor, otherwise the cat would be dead. But there was one condition: the donor had to weigh no less than Murzik.
"Our cat is big, about five kilograms. I remembered that a very heavy cat lives in the firehouse. I called the guys and asked for help," said Vasily Bachkal, the owner of Murzik.
And the cat Egor, aka Vaska, aka Gray, comes to the main stage. That's what firefighters in the 29th fire and rescue unit of Novocherkassk call their comrade.
"Firefighters brought him to the veterinary clinic. The blood transfusion procedure took about an hour and a half - both cats felt well and recovered quickly. Well, after that, the firefighters pampered Egor with goodies all day, because the donor needed to regain his strength. So, thanks to Egor's blood, his red-haired brother Murzik was able to survive a serious illness," the press service of the Rostov Ministry of Emergency Situations reported.
A tailed pet with a Russian-blue color appeared in the Novocherkassk fire department a couple of years ago. The driver's cat gave birth, and they decided not to leave the kitten at home, so the fuzzy moved to the fire station. The cat got used to it quickly enough. He even went to an emergency once. But Egor's favorite place is the stairs. He never leaves it unattended for a minute, and it was on it that he made his first combat trip.
"The cat likes to sit on the fire truck ladder. The unit received an urgent call. The team went to the address. And while getting ready to go back, the firefighters noticed that the cat was sitting quietly on the car ladder. He feels like a real master of the fire department," says Roman Agapov, head of the 29th Fire and Rescue unit of the 5th search and rescue squad.
It turns out that the cat traveled eight kilometers in one direction with the team. By the way, each guard gave the animal its own nickname. Some people call him Gray, others Egor, and others Vaska. The "owner of the unit" himself prefers to respond to Egor.
Photos of the press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Rostov region.