Firefighters Flush Poor Kitten Out Of Drain Pipe

Animal rescuers spend most of their time saving helpless animals in dangerous situations, however, when RSPCA rescuers realized where a tiny kitten had gotten stuck, they knew they had to call for backup.

Recently, UK RSPCA rescuers were called in to save a tiny kitten spotted perched on the roof of a building near a drain pipe. The team rushed to the location as soon as possible, however, by the time they arrived, the kitten had already slipped down the pipe.

“What seemed like a straightforward rescue suddenly became a lot more complicated,” said Jill Sanders, an animal collection officer with the RSPCA. “The poor kitten had slipped down into the drain, which you couldn’t get to from outside the building. I knew I’d need the assistance of the fire service then, and a fantastic team came out to help me rescue the poor puss.”

The firefighters quickly got to work searching for the pipe that the kitten was trapped in. Yet when they finally located her, they realized there was no way they could reach inside and get her. Instead of just giving up, the firemen came up with an unorthodox rescue plan.

“The fire service advised that the only chance of getting the kitten out would be to gently flush the kitten down the drain with the fire hose on a low pressure, and have someone ready in the drain in the ground outside the building, ready to catch her,” Sanders said. “We listened carefully to work out which flow system the kitten had slipped down into, and once we’d worked it out, I was ready with a net. Sure enough, the kitten came sliding down into my hands, completely unharmed, although a little bit confused!”

The four-week-old kitten, who rescuers named Ace, was stunned but healthy. Since her mother or no other kittens could be found, the team brought her to the RSPCA Putney Animal Hospital to wait while they look for her forever home.