How volunteers rescued a lost kitten from a Callimont Borough storm drain
A young kitten with a misguided spirit of adventure was rescued from a storm drain Tuesday in Callimont Borough by members of the Somerset County Animal Response Team, aka CART, and a Larimer Township municipal worker.
A nearby homeowner heard the approximately 7-week-old, black male kitten meowing on Monday and mentioned it on Tuesday while voting at the Larimer Township polling place, said Susan Levy, Somerset CART coordinator.
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“Fortunately, it was a very loud kitten and the homeowner heard it meowing,” she said.
“One of the poll workers contacted a friend who is a CART member. They told them to call 911 (because) that’s the only way CART can be activated.”
Somerset CART is part of the Pennsylvania Animal Response Team, a nonprofit organization that “assists pets and livestock during disasters and emergencies,” such as auto accidents and natural disasters, Levy said.
The all-volunteer organization has active county programs that serve all 67 counties in the commonwealth, according to its website. Somerset CART has been active in the area for 10 years, Levy said.
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'The clock was ticking'
The Callimont Borough homeowner contacted Somerset County 911, which notified CART. Member Beth Ickes was the first to respond to the scene, followed by Levy and Bob Katkowski.
Chris Brown of the Larimer Township road crew also arrived with a tractor to remove the grate covering the storm drain. He lowered himself into the drain to try to retrieve the kitten, but the little fellow decided to “play hide and seek” in the drainage pipes instead, according to a social media post on the Somerset CART Facebook page.
“He was a tiny little thing (and) we were worried. He wouldn’t survive (down there) with all the rain coming,” Levy said, referring to the 2 inches or more of rain that was expected to fall in Somerset County on Friday as tropical rainstorm Nicole passed through the region.
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So Ickes set a trap in the drain with some tuna inside, to lure the kitten out of the drain pipes.
“She came back a few hours later, and it went right into the trap,” Levy said. “I think the little guy was pretty hungry.
“The homeowner heard him on Monday, so we’re not sure how long he was there or how he got in. He wasn’t dirty or wet, so I don’t think he was in there long. But the clock was ticking, so it was good that he got in the trap when he did.”
Ickes is caring for the kitten at her home, Levy said.
Somerset CART needs more volunteers, Levy said. Anyone who is interested in joining can fill out an application online at paanimalresponse.org. Monetary donations are also welcome and those can be made through the website as well.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Somerset County Animal Response Team rescues kitten from storm drain
