When Rochelle McNeill Meister heard the sound of a kitten in distress Thursday, she traced the sound to the stormwater intake near her house at Sixth and Willis.
“I thought it was coming from across the street,” McNeill Meister said. “I stepped out onto my curb to see if I could figure out for sure where the noise was coming from and heard a really loud meow. I looked down and saw the kitty looking up at me from the drain.”
McNeill Meister took action by alerting the city authorities, and the Perry Police Department and Perry Public Works Department responded and set about extricating the sewer-bound kitten.
“What we thought was going to be an easy task turned into a couple of hours trying to get her out,” said McNeill Meister.
The rescue effort was a success.
“We were able to get him out,” Perry Public Works Director Jack Butler said. “He was so small he’d fit in the palm of your hand.”
McNeill Meister said she was relieved and grateful for the outcome.
“I am so glad I didn’t dismiss the sound of a kitty crying,” she said. “I just knew I couldn’t leave it down there. Thank you to everyone involved in helping save this sweet girl from the storm drain.”
The tiny feline was examined by a vet, tipping the scales at 11 ounces and at an estimated 4.5 weeks of age. The fragile feline is recovering under McNeill Meister’s care and awaiting a name.
