Gold Coast, Australia - Pablo the cat's owner had no idea that her furry friend was napping in the washing machine when she started a wash cycle. Soon her beloved pet was fighting for his life.

In an article on the Australian news portal 7news, the Small Animal Specialist Hospital ("SASH" for short) tells the tragic story of Pablo, a kitten of just nine months old.

The curious house kitty was looking for a nice place to snooze, and the washing machine was still warm from a previous wash cycle – the perfect place to close his eyes and fall asleep, or so he thought.

But before Pablo could wake up properly, he was already buried under a mountain of laundry with the door locked. Then the water started to rise.

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The poor cat had to go through the ordeal for 55 minutes and was thrown around 3,000 times during the spin cycle.

At the same time, his owner was desperately searching for her faithful companion, but it was only when she opened the washing machine that she found Pablo – who was more dead than alive.

The four-legged friend was immediately taken to the nearest veterinary clinic for help.

"He had brain injury, lung injury," said the doctor treating him, Dr. Ella Yarsley. "[He] was probably in the most dire condition I’ve seen in a case in a long time."

But despite his critical condition, Pablo fought his way back to life and – apart from a few minor injuries – has now made a full recovery.

"Not many have seen cats go through a whole cycle and survive," the doctor continued, calling Pablo's survival "pretty close to a miracle."