A Langley cat rescued from a drainage pipe where he had been stuck for a week has been dubbed Piper by staff at LAPS.
The Langley Animal Protection Society was called out to the City on the weekend of Oct. 8 and 9, where neighbours had been trying to catch a cat stuck underground.
The locals near 201st Street and 53A Avenue had been hearing the cat crying at night all week, and several of them had been trying everything they could think of to rescue him themselves, said Sarah Jones, executive director of LAPS.
On Saturday, LAPS called in City engineering staff, who put a camera in the pipe, giving LAPS staff a look at the conditions under which the cat was living. They caught a glimpse of Piper, who growled at the camera and was too afraid to come out.
LAPS put a cage trap with some food in the pipe, but they were worried Piper wouldn’t go for it. The only place they could lower the trap into the pipe system was in a muddy area.
“Thankfully, we haven’t had rain, because if we’d had rain, he for sure would have died,” said Jones.
Fortunately, Piper was hungry enough that he braved the mud, and on Sunday, he was trapped and removed from the sewer system.
He was taken to a vet clinic, and after treatment and feeding – he’s emaciated and hungry – he was taken to LAPS shelter in Aldergrove on Wednesday, Oct. 12.
The tabby was mostly hiding in his enclosure at LAPS at first, but when he’s offered treats, he comes out and snuggles up against people.
“He’s a very sweet boy,” said Jones. “He’s going to be excited to go home, I’m sure.”
Piper will only have his temporary name for a brief time, as a tattoo allowed LAPS staff to track down his owner.
The family said their pet, usually known as Callie, had been an indoor-outdoor cat, but he had vanished three weeks before, leaving the family worried for him. He’ll be going home soon, and will still need some follow-up care.
One concern remaining is that LAPS staff can’t figure out how Piper got into the drainage pipes, unless he was placed there. All the covers on the system are supposed to be closed at all times.
LAPS recently rescued a kitten that had suffered broken bones, and apparently someone had glued its ears, possibly in an attempt to make it look like a purebred.
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