Morey to the Rescue

There is a feral cat colony at UT and many of the cats live around the building where I work. There are staff members who put out food and water near the building and so Morey and I often see the cats as we're coming or going. Morey always shows interest in the cats but he is good and never tries to chase them.

There is a storm drain near the building and many of the cats seem to live or hide inside of it. The other day as I was leaving work I saw that a board had been put down the drain to create a sort of ramp and I wondered why it was there. The next day there were people from UT's Environmental and Safety Department gathered around an open manhole with an animal trap sitting next to it. I asked if a cat was stuck inside and the people said yes. I wished them luck in their efforts and went on my way to work.

That afternoon as Morey and I were taking a walk outside I saw the staff had moved on to a different drain and were obviously still in pursuit of the cat. Morey and I continued on our walk when all of a sudden Morey stopped and perked up his ears. He stood very still and cocked his head from one side to another as he listened. I tried to figure out what he was hearing and then I heard a cat meowing very plaintively. We were right next to the manhole where the staff had been looking that morning and realized the poor lost cat must have come back to that location.

Morey was still standing and listening to the cat. The staff were across the street and I called out to them to let them know the cat was right beneath us. They came over and also heard the cat crying. They explained that when they had lifted the manhole cover before it had made such a loud noise that it scared the cat. They also told me it was a kitten and that it was obviously too scared to continue down the drain that would have led it to a creek bed where it would be free.

Both of the staff members were frustrated by their inability to help the cat and also disturbed by the kitten's sad plight. They had already tried several different things to rescue the kitten and were running out of ideas. It was a helpless situation and there was nothing I could offer to help so I reluctantly I went back to work. I was glad at least they were looking in the right place again, thanks to Morey.

When I left work for the day no one was behind the building and I am hoping they were successful in their rescue. I may have to follow up on Monday to find out what happened to the kitten!

Update: I emailed the woman heading up the cat rescued and learned that they had been able to rescue the kitten by scooping it up with a net! She took it home and reported that it was doing well- eating, drinking and playing. I am glad it wasn't suffering any ill effects from his time "down under".

The woman said one of her co-workers might be interested in adopting it and she also shared that she had told her office about Morey's contribution to the rescue. What can I say, he is a talented guy who is always ready to help wherever he can!