Faithful Feline Survives Frightening Fight and Perilous Plunge

Last April, Daniel Deptford of Redmond, Washington, and his family were searching for a new pet when they came across Ginger and Jackson, two calm-tempered cats at their local humane society. Knowing the siblings could not be separated, the family decided to bring them both home. Things were going great until one day when Ginger was attacked by a wild animal and fell from a tree while trying to escape, sustaining life-threatening injuries. Ginger’s alarming ordeal and harrowing recovery have earned him the title of October’s “Most Unusual Claim of the Month” by Nationwide, the nation’s first and largest provider of pet health insurance.

Because of their busy lifestyle, the Deptfords knew that any pet joining the family would need to be low maintenance. After weighing the pros and cons, they decided a cat would fit best and began their search at local animal shelters.

“We were originally only looking for one cat, but that changed when we met Ginger and Jackson,” said Daniel. “They had a such a strong bond and we didn’t want to break that up so we decided to adopt them both.”

On the night of the critter conflict, Ginger had snuck out the back door while the family was in the living room. The family allows them to occasionally explore outside, but prefers them to stay inside during the night.

“We were up late watching television when I heard Ginger meowing and scratching at the back door,” said Daniel. “I got up right away to let him in, but when I got to the door he was gone. Then I heard the horrible sound of animals fighting at the end of our driveway and I sprinted towards it.”

Unbeknownst to the family, Ginger had come into contact with a predator while in the yard. By the time he attempted to come in, it was too late and he was trapped in a fight for his life. As the attack took place, Daniel ran towards the ruckus and yelled to scare away the predator.

“I saw the blur of a big animal scurry away as I got closer to Ginger. It could have been a coyote, but I’m not sure,” said Daniel. “Ginger was bleeding from his jaw and I knew he was badly hurt.”

Daniel attempted to pick up Ginger, but the frantic feline was in shock and wouldn’t allow it. Daniel called his wife, Catherine, out to help and ran back inside to grab a towel to wrap Ginger in. However, as Daniel came back to the site, Ginger charged up a tree and hid in the branches.

“We knew he was scared and we weren’t about to leave him,” said Daniel. “I grabbed a chair and was determined to wait all night if I had to.”

With Ginger more than 20 feet in the air and visibly exhausted, the couple grabbed a blanket and prepared to catch him in case of a fall. Suddenly, Ginger lost his grip on a frail branch and came tumbling down. The duo outstretched the blanket and lunged to the location he was falling, but were a second too late. Ginger clipped the blanket and crashed to the ground, severely breaking his leg. The injured feline attempted to dart away again, but Daniel stopped him and wrapped him in the blanket. Once Ginger was secured, Daniel loaded him into the car and rushed him to Animal Emergency Hospital of Redmond for immediate treatment.

As soon as the family arrived, the veterinary staff sprang into action to stop Ginger’s bleeding and stabilize him. Ginger required an overnight stay with constant attention and treatment. When morning approached, the veterinary staff recommended Ginger to a specialist in Seattle to undergo multiple surgeries on his jaw and leg.

After months of recovery, Ginger has returned to his loving ways. Daniel and Catherine are thankful for the incredible veterinary team that saved Ginger’s life, and for the pet insurance support they received from Nationwide.

“The veterinarians did a wonderful job saving Ginger,” said Daniel. “Having our cats insured has been a life saver. Nationwide has been there when we needed them most, and the coverage we’ve received has been fantastic.”