Rescuers from Catsnip, Etc. in Elkhart, Indiana, responded quickly to a call about a mother cat who had given birth in a storm drain.
But as spectators were saving the cat family, one lonely kitten had another idea in mind: she wanted to embark on an unforgettable adventure.
MISSY MCNEAL
A stray cat that had been hanging out and had kittens was discovered by workers at a nearby workplace, according to Missy McNeal, a foster for Catsnip Etc. “By the time we arrived, the staff had already captured the other kittens.”, writes thedodo
One kitten, however, became frightened and leaped into a spout that descended 3 feet in a straight line. Rescuers heard her cries but were unable to see her.
Before we were summoned, the kitten had been down the pipe and wailing for about 24 hours, according to McNeal. We realized that those 4-week-old infants still required their mother.
MISSY MCNEAL
In order to locate the kitten, McNeal devised a strategy to carefully feed a camera via a conduit embedded in the cement. The devoted team looked for eight hours without finding anything.
None of us wanted to leave the kitten alone overnight, but there was nothing we could do because it was completely dark. We hoped that some of the food we threw down the passageways would reach her.
MISSY MCNEAL
The team flushed the pipes to bring the kitten out into the open when they arrived back in the morning, as advised by the sewer company.
It was all we could do with her trapped in a network of underground pipes, said McNeal. We required a miracle because none of the pipes were large enough for somebody to crawl through.
MISSY MCNEAL
As soon as we heard her cries, we could see the water streaming, according to McNeal. And if we could locate someone little, they could follow her inside. Therefore, we made a [public] appeal.
The rescue narrative can be seen here:
Volunteer Ashley arrived on the scene to assist.
She entered the drainpipe and moved cautiously forward, according to McNeal. She inserted herself so deeply into the pipe that she vanished into the shadows and was no longer visible to us.
Ashley eventually located the kitty, who had now been in the pipe for for 30 minutes. But now, holding the terrified kitten, she had to climb backwards out of the drain.
Source: thedodo.com