A family known for rescuing dogs got the call to save cats, and it came close to home! You never know when such a call might arrive, especially during a busy spring kitten season. While life hands us many surprises, this family didn’t expect the saga that unfolded under their porch at their Rochester, MN, home. As animal lovers, they jumped, crawled, and dug into action with incredible, heroic determination!
The ‘Cat Family Under the Porch Saga’
Roo and Clara Yori are known for rescuing dogs, including a Pit Bull named Wallace, who once met the late great Betty White! It was while walking the family dogs that Clara heard a cry for help late at 10 pm. A distinct meowing was nearby, and the couple traced the source to somewhere under the home.
As late as it was, a rescuer, Michele, from Camp Companion, came over to help them find the kitten right away. It took a great deal of effort just to find the kitten, requiring a shovel and lots of digging by lamplight. Eventually, they discovered the furbaby was in a narrow, dark hole underground. There was no way to reach him! Nevertheless, they would not give up as the kitten’s cries urged them on for hours.
“We tried for over 2 hours and fashioned all kinds of contraptions to reach down there,” Clara explained on Instagram. “The kitten was so vocal for hours.”
Images and media via Instagram/yclaray, rooyori, ****campcompanion
Rescued Just After Midnight
The rescuers tried everything they could think of to reach the kitten. But it was an extreme challenge because he had fallen deep inside a small shaft.
Determined to find a way, Clara even drove to pick up a grabber tool from a friend. But by the time she returned, the kitten had gone quiet. It wasn’t a good sign. But just when they feared the worst, their luck suddenly improved in an instant.
“It was getting cold and Roo could see that it was giving up. So he spoke the universal cat language of ‘pspspsps’ and the kitten raised its head and Roo was able to get a little twine noose around it. Finally, just after midnight the little guy was pulled out! Michele whisked him away to get him warm and fed for the night.”
Early the next morning, the kitten, dubbed Bartholomew, was safely at the vet. He happily made a full recovery after the exhausting ordeal.
“We are calling him Bartholomew because he mewed for hours asking for help!” shared Clara.
You can see the saga unfold in the video from Instagram below:
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Video via Instagram/yclaray and rooyori
At the rescue, Bartholomew was learning to adapt to bottle feeding.
“Bartholomew is learning the bottle and snuggles with purrs. We have also had a sighting of mom and 2 littermates. Live trap is now in place. Hoping for a family reunion soon,” shared** Camp Companion.**
Another Level of the Saga
The next day, Roo Yori was back under the porch with a miner’s hat to light the way. After discovering the hole, he was about to fill it in so no other animals could ever fall inside. But in the process, he discovered the kittens’ mama and two siblings were hiding out deep in the crawl space!
“We found Bartholomew’s family. The saga continues,” he shared.
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A Light at the End of the Dark
A day later, the saga continued as the family and rescuer worked to trap the mama and get the remaining cuties to safety. This time, Michele bravely crawled under the porch.
Crawling in the dirt and rocks, she met frightened kittens hiding deep in pockets of golden straw.
Cat Family Under the Porch Begins New Adventures
Pulled out of the hole into the sunlight, the kittens’ cute faces were a welcome sight. Later, they successfully trapped mama kitty and reunited her with her babies in a safe, warm nursery. She was such a brave mama who had likely tried to relocate her litter because of construction in the home’s backyard.
“Today we trapped the mama and then Michele retrieved the other kittens. You’ll want to see what happens next. This little family found a foster home, but Camp Companion is always looking for more fosters and donations. A huge thanks to them for all they do for our community.”
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Safe in foster care, the kittens quickly got up to more mischief. They burrowed deep into another dark place to hide. However, it was so much easier to get to them this time!
“A wonderfully sweet and snuggly video on Bartholomew and family. They had the most fantastic weekend with their foster family. Adventures in fostering!” shared Camp Companion.
You can follow and support Camp Companion Animal Rescue on Facebook and Instagram.
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Video via Facebook/Camp Companion
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