A rescue effort that got started Wednesday night when a woman heard meows resulted in a cold, wet, trapped cat being freed and taken for medical care Friday morning.
The cat was stuck inside a storm drain beneath a downspout attached to a brick wall at at Donnell Middle School in Findley, OH. Neighborhood resident Susan Orians, who lives across the street from the school heard the trapped cat meowing Wednesday night when she called for her own cat to come in.
It was Ms. Orians who called the school’s principal Don Williams , Findlay police, and animal control. Principal Williams and Hancock County Dog Warden and Humane Officer Dana Berger came out to investigate the report of the trapped cat Wednesday night, and efforts to free the cat began on Thursday.
“It was awful. My daughter and I were miserable the whole night,” Ms. Orians told The Courier.
Findlay City Schools maintenance workers tried to rescue the cat on Thrsday but couldn’t get him out. Officer Berger describes the elaborate effort to free the cat in the video at bottom. A pipe was cut to open up an escape point, and some tuna and a trap were left overnight. Not surprisingly, the cat retreated. He was traced Friday morning to a space under a grate that was removed by rescuers to create an exit where those on hand could position themselves to grab the cat on his way out. A piece of cardboard made a little platform for the cat to step upon, and a catchpole and net were at the ready. Ms. Orians spoke to the kitty, giving him encouragement to come out. The moment when the cat emerged is captured in video below.
Officer Berger originally planned to take the cat to the Hancock county Humane Society. The cat is currently getting medical tests and receiving treatment for hypothermia at the VCA Findlay Animal Hospital.
The cat, who is being called Piper, is very docile and friendly. Officer Berger says he is absolutely not feral, and indicated that several people have offered to give him a home if an owner does not come forward.
Dr. David Calland, from VCA Findlay Animal Hospital says the older cat is very thin and has health issues that pre-date his recent experience trapped in cold water in the drain pipes during a cold spell.
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The first report on the story, before kitty was rescued:
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The approach to the drain pipe on the school wall. Kitty can be heard meowing from below:
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Raw video from the final moments of the rescue, when kitty was brought to safety:
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Dana Berger and veterinarian Dr. David Calland talk about the rescue and the cat’s condition and health. We can see her how readily Piper accepts affection.
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