Elkhart County, IN – A frantic rescue mission unfolded at an Indiana factory after a feral kitten plunged into a drain pipe, sparking a multi-day effort to save her. The kitten, one of a litter being rescued with her mother, panicked during the operation and escaped into a broken gutter system.
A Desperate Slide Underground
Workers attempting to secure the feral cat family watched helplessly as the kitten darted toward a damaged gutter. “The plastic pipe dropped three feet before angling into a manhole,” said Missy McNeal of Catsnip Etc, a local rescue group. “She slid down—the sides were too slick to climb back up.”
After failed attempts to retrieve the kitten, the team contacted Catsnip Etc for assistance. Rescuers spent hours scouring the labyrinth of underground pipes with a camera but couldn’t locate the frightened feline. As darkness fell, the search was postponed until morning.
Community Rallies for Rescue
The next day, volunteers and Miller Sewer Cleaning collaborated on a new strategy: tracing the kitten’s path by pouring water down the pipe. The method worked, revealing her location in a distant manhole—far from where she’d fallen.
But retrieving her required crawling through a narrow, waterlogged pipe. Ashlee, a local resident, answered a social media plea for help. “She went down that manhole without hesitation,” McNeal said. The kitten, exhausted after 40 hours underground, immediately approached Ashlee. “The relief was overwhelming when we heard her yell, ‘I’ve got her!’”
Recovery and Reunion
The shivering, mud-soaked kitten was wrapped in a towel and rushed to warmth. Rescuers treated her for dehydration and low blood sugar with fluids and Karo syrup before offering food. Meanwhile, her mother and siblings were moved to foster care.
Once stabilized, the kitten—half the size of her littermates—was reunited with her family. “She ran straight to her mom and nuzzled under her chin,” McNeal shared. The entire litter is now being socialized for adoption.
“Weighing 11 ounces now, our little drain-pipe fighter is thriving,” McNeal added. The ordeal, lasting over a day, ended with the entire feline family safe—and a community reminded of the power of teamwork.
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