CATastrophe!

[radfringe]

we picked up our 7 month old cat, Calypso, from the vet yesterday morning - she was in for spaying

for most of the day - she slept up in the loft, I went up every couple of hours to check on her and she was fine

well, about 6:30pm when I went to check on her - I couldn't find her. No problem, I thought - just open a can of food and rattle the bowl

the other cats showed up - but not Calypso. I start searching the house, checking in all her usual hiding places - couldn't find her. My partner is in a panic and starts calling Calypso

we hear a tiny cry, at first we thought it was one of our other cats. But no, the other cats were in another room munching down some food - this cry was coming from THE WALL

on the stairwell leading up to the loft is a "built-in" shelf thing, the back of the shelf is not very secure, but I thought I had nailed and glued it in pretty good a couple of years ago...

I thought wrong - somehow, Calypso managed to push the back of the shelf aside and climbed in. Unfortunately, it's all open behind that wall and drops down to the celler level. Quickly ripping the shelving out, and shining a flashlight -- yup, there she was...

There's no access to it from the celler unless we want to demolish brick and cement

I dangle a towel down the hole in hopes that Calypso would climb up it to safety. No go. she won't climb. too flimsy maybe?

so we get some old cardboard and a strip of old carpeting - quickly we attach the carpeting to the cardboard and lower that down - again hoping she would climb it - nope

We're on plan "c" now - fashion a sling out of a towel and rope, lower that down and coax her to climb in. She climbs in, but the minute we start to raise it - she hops out. tried to do it several times - same thing - she hops out

My partner says "it may sound stupid -- but could we lasso her around her middle?"

worth a try, but we would have to get the rope around her upper chest area and stay away from where she had her operation. A regular rope would be too "rough". I rummaged through the closet and found an old sheet - cut a long strip and slip knotted one end.

lowered it down, and using a long stick we managed to push her into the noose end.

SUCCESS! She was raised to safety and no harm done.

PHEW!

as far as the shelfy-thing goes - the hole is blocked off with a piece of plywood for now. We will be doing some carpentry later today to make sure that hole stays blocked.

[NV Whino]

1. Wow!

Congratulations on your successful catch.

[demnan]

2. That didn't sound like much fun

I tell you, cats can get in the worst trouble just around the house.

Glad everyone is safe now.

[ccjlld]

3. Poor little girl!

So glad you rescued her! She must have really been scared!

[joanski0]

4. Yikes! What a story!

I would have had a nervous breakdown. Thank goodness, she's OK.

[japple]

5. That's an amazing story. Glad your kitty is safely back in the fold.

She might have been disoriented from anesthesia or maybe one of the other cats might have been annoying her and she wanted to get away. Boy did she ever get away. I can't imagine how you kept so levelheaded and came up with the right way to get her out. I would have started in with a sledge hammer. :-(

[radfringe]

7. don't think it was the anesthesia

she has surgry on Thursday, and this happened Friday evening

but she is an explorer and likes to sleep in dark places... one of her favorites is in the wastepaper basket under the computer desk or the one in the loft under my work table

[meti57b]

6. Great news! .... I am so glad to hear everything worked out okay!

[radfringe]

8. now she has a "ooky" eye

one eye a bit swollen, and it's a bit "ooky"

I started her on some anti-biotics last night - if it doesn't look better by tomorrow - it's back to the vet...

She's eating/drinking well, and otherwise back to her usual "manic" self

[Grateful for Hope]

9. How frightened you must have been...

Thank goodness you were able to rescue her. I hope her "ooky" eye will clear up quickly.

[BrklynLiberal]

10. Wow! What a scary situation. Congrats on being able to stay rational

enough to come up with enough "plans" to finally get her out. I think I might have called the Fire Department first thing!
Hope her eye is healed quickly. She might have gotten some dirt in it while back there in the wall.

[radfringe]

11. ooky eye looky better :)

still a bit swollen, but it's not draining

talked to the vet this morning - she said to call and bring her in if it's not better in a couple of days

[CottonBear]

12. I'm so glad she's OK! My kittens got into the floor when they were tiny.

Mr. CB had to remove some floorboards and lure them out with food. :)

I hope your kitty cat feels better soon. :hug:

[MsTryska]

13. well i was googling for one of those cat claws....

you know those sticks with the gripper ends that they use to snatch up feral cats in a hoarders house on those animal rescue shows?


but instead i found this - which is equally cool!

http://www.doctordog.com/catbook/cathand.html

[japple]

14. Did you see the cozy calming cat mat? That looks really great

and I might just order one for my nervous, elderly cat.

[MsTryska]

15. you mean the zip up cat cozy?

i didn't see a mat on that site.


my cats would prolly pee on it at their earliest opportunity if it was available tho.

the cat cozy definitely has possibilities tho.

[Orsino]

16. Same thing happened to my oldest cat...

...who fell down behind a wall from upstairs. Complicating the matter was his lack of a voice (inherited from his mother, another whisper kitty). My wife frantically searched the whole house and yard before finally hearing his gasping cry. She had to rip a hole in the wall to rescue him (he was unharmed), and only then figured out that an upstairs closet didn't quite go all the way back to a wall. Both holes have since been secured.

A dozen years later, Chester's still with us, thank goodness.

[Mutley]

17. Amazing story!

And great ingenuity getting her out. I would've ended up calling the fire department to come rip out the wall in my panic.