Deputy Fire Chief Richard Bulley says he thinks the fire on Whitney Avenue might have started in the basement. (Yvonne Leblanc-Smith/CBC )

A couple, and their pet cat, escaped from a house fire on Whitney Avenue in Sydney, N.S., on Sunday afternoon with minor injuries.

The man and his wife got out of the house unscathed, but he ran back into the home to find their cat. He was taken to hospital with smoke inhalation and a family member told CBC News he was expected to recover.

The family's pet cat also experienced smoke inhalation, but Emergency Health Services members were able to revive the feline.

Firefighters hosed down the house, trying to calm the billowing smoke.

The family said they noticed smoke coming up through the floor.

Deputy Fire Chief Richard Bulley said his crews are still investigating the cause of the fire.