SAN DIEGO -- If you have ever wondered whether cats really do have nine lives, here's proof.

Dianne L'Esperance rescued Mia last month from a life on the streets of Tijuana, Mexico.

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Cat Uses Three Of Her Lives

"I started feeding her and I found that even more than the food, as hungry as she was, she was starved for affection and human touch," L'Esperance said.

She took Mia to the Cheshire Cat Clinic in Pacific Beach and the veterinarian discovered Mia had eaten a good amount of rat poison while in Tijuana.

"She managed to pull through that near death experience," L'Esperance said.

She figured Mia had made it through the worst of things and promised her nothing but love and affection for the rest of her life.

That was 10 days before the Cedar Fire.

"We had about 20 minutes to get our things together, including our three cats and get out of the house," L'Esperance said.

While evacuating her home in Scripps Ranch, L'Esperance tried to save Mia.

"She fell onto the first floor roof, went around the corner and disappeared. At that point, the firemen come in our house saying, 'You've got to get out now.' I had to leave her," she said.

A week later, L'Esperance returned to her home which was gutted by flames. Guess who was sitting on top of the pile of rubble? Mia.

Absolutely thrilled, L'Esperance took Mia to the veterinarian, where Mia was treated for burns on her face, sides and paws.

"Through the traumas that she has had, she is still the most loving cat," L'Esperance said.

Meanwhile, the Escondido Humane Society has established an "October Fire Animal Care Fund." All San Diego County residents affected by the fires are eligible for help with their pet's medical costs. Contact the Escondido Humane Society for more information or to donate.