OAKDALE, Minn.-- Felix is trying to recover from a ride nobody would take on purpose.
His owner, Stefani Carroll-Kirchoff, was putting laundry into her high-efficiency front-loading washer and Felix must have jumped in when she left briefly to grab some more clothes.
"Then heard a little meow, and I looked around because I'm so used to them being around me, and all of a sudden I saw a little white back foot go up in the air, and I can't even tell you what that was like," she remembered.
"One godsend is, it was on express wash," she said.
Felix is now on oxygen support in an ICU units and showing gradual improvement.
"We're not sure if he recognizes us yet, but he is, with some of the vet techs and with us, he's leaning forward and wanting to be petted," Carroll-Kirchoff said. "So that gives me some hope that he know somebody cares, you know."
Veterinarians say Felix is still in critical condition, and they are concerned about fluid in his lungs.
Stefani says she's heard of cats getting into washing machines, and dryers, so she checked regularly to make sure her cats were clear, but missed Felix this one time.