By Adam Ray
Cat rescues usually involve animals stuck in trees, but a Lower Hutt feline has provoked an entirely different type of rescue.
Nine-month-old Billy became trapped in a pipe underneath his owner's living room and the only way to get him out was with concrete-cutting gear.
He was pulled to safety after more than two days in the pipe, looking understandably surprised to see daylight again.
“Got a bit of a cleanup bill [now],” Billy’s owner Laurel Kerr says.
“Might be paying off for some time. But hey, Billy's back.”
The owners only realised Billy had disappeared into a pipe after hearing his meows.
The SPCA told them they would only save Billy by cutting through the living room floor to find the pipe.
“It’s always a worry when you're renting the place and you're digging holes, but the landlord was really supportive,” Ms Kerr says.
And concrete cutting did work - by accidentally scaring Billy to crawl along the pipe till he could be reached.
Wellington SPCA senior inspector Ben Lakomy was worried about what would happen.
“I was really concerned for Billy's welfare," says Mr Lakomy. "I was quite overwhelmed when I saw his head pop out of the pipe.”
Ms Kerr says she was thankful to the SPCA, Allcut concrete cutters, and to Pet Vet for caring for Billy.
She hasn't added up the repair bill but says Billy just had to be rescued.
“Cats are like family. If it was a toddler you'd do everything you can.”
While the pipe has been covered, Ms Kerr won't be surprised if Billy finds another one. The family adopted him after he was found living in a drainpipe with his siblings.
3 News
source: newshub archive
