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Smoka the cat survives 26 days in fire debris

Cat had lost a lot of weight, but was mostly unharmed, says owner

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updated 9:33 a.m. ET Sept. 10, 2009

A woman's pet cat has been found alive, buried beneath debris 26 days after an Ohio fire.

Sandy LaPierre says she assumed 1-year-old Smoka had died from the Aug. 10 fire in Franklin, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Cincinnati. The blaze broke out in a building housing a flower shop and LaPierre's second-floor apartment.

A demolition company moved in to tear down what was left of the building the day after the fire. A crew from Stark Wrecking Co. came back Sept. 4 to clear away the rubble and found Smoka's head sticking out from under 16 feet (nearly 5 meters) of debris.

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LaPierre says her female cat lost a lot of weight and has been gobbling down food to make up for it. She says Smoka has some difficulty walking but otherwise seems OK.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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