“He was hanging on like it was the last Churu …”
While Independence Day fireworks lit up the skies over Fresno County earlier this month, a household in Sanger faced a different kind of excitement. Startled by the noise, a tiny kitten darted across their property and accidentally fell into an open sewer drain, plunging tens of feet underground.
Sanger Animal Control responded promptly but struggled to coax the kitten out of the 40-foot-long sloped sewage pipe. They reached out to the Kirkland Foundation (KF), a local animal rescue organization, who quickly devised a hopeful plan.
“We decided to excavate the sewer line near the house, cut a section of it, flush the little ragamuffin with some tap water, and then repair the pipe,” KF detailed on Facebook.
The rescuers exposed a section of the pipe and made a cut, attentively listening for any signs of the kitten. When they realized that the kitten was no longer near the house, their worst fears were confirmed: The tiny creature was moving toward the street.
“If the kitten reached the main sewer line under the street … that would not end well,” KF wrote.
The team spent the next seven hours excavating the sewer line in a desperate search for the kitten. As darkness fell, they reluctantly suspended their efforts, planning to resume the following morning. The next day, the team reconvened and enlisted the help of a plumbing expert named Junior.
“He brought all the equipment we could have used the previous day,” KF noted. “Including a long-length camera probe, sound-based (SONAR) tracking gear, and more.”
The rescuers carefully wrapped a piece of cloth around the camera probe before lowering it into the pipe. After several tense minutes, they finally spotted the kitten.
“The good news was that we had eyes on the little one; the bad news was that he was at the bottom of the steep 40-degree slope, on the verge of being flushed into a sewage treatment plant,” KF reported.
Just as the team began devising ways to rescue the kitten from such a challenging position, the tiny feline surprised them with an instinctive and playful response.
“The camera and light at the end of the probe, wrapped in a towel, captivated him after days in darkness. Without warning, HE GRABBED IT,” KF wrote.
The kitten clung to the towel as the team carefully reeled the camera up the long and narrow pipe. As they neared the top, his grip faltered, and he slid down a few feet.
The team lowered the camera again and played a recording of a mother cat’s call. They watched anxiously as the kitten, motivated by the sound, crawled toward it.
“It was exhilarating, maddening, and heart-breaking,” KF described. “He’d inch forward, pause exhaustedly, cry, hear the mama sounds, and crawl some more.”
Eventually, the kitten grabbed the camera again and clung on with determination.
“The little one had a firm hold on the camera and wasn’t letting go, even as Joey pulled him through the pipe,” KF wrote. “Thirty seconds later, Joey lifted the little one to safety, and it was over.”
The team was overjoyed to finally hold the baby after two exhausting days. KF’s founder, Kyle Kirkland, took the frazzled kitten, named Andy, to his rescue facility, where he has been recovering with the help of cleansing baths, nutritious food, and constant hydration.
Andy has also been enjoying cuddles with his temporary furry siblings. Once he’s fully recovered, he will hopefully return to live with his family at the house where his adventure began. By then, the holes and open pipe will be repaired, ensuring he won’t find himself 40 feet underground again.