Minnesota cat survives 35-minute washing machine cycle

June 24 (UPI) -- A Minnesota woman said her pet cat is down one of his nine lives after taking a 35-minute ride in the washing machine with a load of laundry.

Stefani Carroll-Kirchoff said she checked on her laundry at the end of a 35-minute cycle at her home in Maplewood and spotted a paw belonging to her 1-year-old cat, Felix, sticking out from among the wet clothes.

"I've been in shock the last few days," Carroll-Kirchoff told CNN. "I mean, this is going to haunt me for the rest of my life."

Felix was rushed to Animal Emergency and Referral Center of Minnesota, where veterinarians said he had pneumonia from the water in his lungs. The cat is expected to make a full recovery.

Carroll-Kirchoff's daughter, Asha Carroll, set up a crowdfunding page to raise money for Felix's veterinary treatment. They quickly surpassed and doubled their initial $5,000 goal.

"I said to my daughter, 'This is a feel good thing,'" Carroll-Kirchoff told the St. Paul Pioneer-Press. "I didn't know there were this many good people in the world. I have people reaching out and helping that I have never met before. I could never repay what they have done."