A two-year-old cat named Rascal required £9,000 in emergency veterinary treatment after plunging from a fourth-floor window left on the latch during a heatwave, resulting in the amputation of his leg. His owners, junior doctors Osaruese Egharevba and Hannah Hirji, both 24, are warning other pet owners about the dangers of open windows in hot weather.
The Accident
During the June 2026 heatwave, when temperatures in London reached around 37°C, Rascal suffered heatstroke. To cool him down, Hannah left the living room window of their 20-metre-high flat on the latch on June 26. While Hannah was home with her friend Chelsea, 23, she saw a “grey shadow” outside the window and realized Rascal had disappeared. She found him under a car, unable to move his back legs, and believes he pushed the window open and fell.
Injuries and Initial Treatment
Rushed to a vet, Rascal was diagnosed with a broken hip, fractured leg, shattered ankle, and chest injuries. The vet told the couple that initial stabilization would cost £3,000 and surgery at least £6,000, with both requiring upfront payment. Hannah’s pet insurance covered only £1,500. The vet warned that if they couldn’t pay, euthanasia would be the only option. “We were all just sobbing because this had happened so suddenly,” Hannah told PA Real Life.
Finding a Solution
The couple, who had recently graduated and were waiting to start their jobs, had no income. They called charities and clinics, eventually finding a practice in Victoria, central London, that offered a payment plan with no upfront costs. Further scans revealed Rascal’s ankle was fractured into “little fragments,” his femur broken, and his lungs and chest bruised. They opted for surgery to repair his hip and amputate the injured leg, which cost £2,000 and took place on June 30.
Recovery and Fundraiser
Rascal returned home the next day. Initially, he seemed depressed and his housemate cat Dizzy did not recognize him. However, he is now on the “road to recovery,” hopping around and appearing happier. The couple set up a GoFundMe page to cover monthly veterinary repayments. “We want to urge all other pet owners, especially during the heatwave, if you have the windows open, or on the latch, please be careful,” Hannah said. “We thought Rascal was dead, or was going to die. It’s just not worth it – we will never be opening the windows or putting them on the latch again.”
Background
Osaruese and Hannah got Rascal and his sibling Dizzy as kittens two years ago while studying medicine at Imperial College London. Rascal was described as “very social” and “the life of the party.” The vet noted that many cats had been brought in due to the heatwave, more than in previous years. Hannah added, “They say cats land on their feet, and he did, but it wasn’t enough to save his leg…now he’s our three-legged warrior.”
