A kitten stole the hearts of many, many people, and she didn’t even know it. This kitten’s story blew up on Sunday night when Tina Bowman heard a kitten crying in the storm drain and posted a plea for help on Facebook. She also contacted our own Jennifer Russell to find out who to call to help get inside the drain cover and rescue the kitten. We may never know how she ended up in the storm drain, but this kitten has a happy ending. I contacted the Kewanee Police Department, Fire Department, Public Works Director Kevin Newton, and City Manager Gary Bradley for assistance removing the storm drain cover to rescue the kitten or putting a live trap down there to catch the kitten. Residents and city employees attempted to lure the kitten to the drain cover for days, but to no avail. People put food in the storm drain entrance to entice the kitten to the opening, but that didn’t work either. Ben Wieser, Jana Bowman, Raife Hammons, and Gabrielle Ackal put a live trap with soft food into the pipe, hoping to catch her and give her a home. Before they could check the live trap, a couple heard the kitten crying and looked down to find a small tuxedo kitten in a live trap, and they named her Stormy. Thank you to the city employee who let me know the kitten had been rescued this morning; you made my day! The couple took the kitten home, fed her, and gave her a bath. They shared a video of how loud the kitten was purring and how happy she looked, as well as bravely jumping down to the floor. We don’t know how long the kitten was in the drain, but witnesses have heard a kitten crying for possibly days prior to Tina Bowman’s post. This kitten has captured the hearts of many and shows that humanity is still strong. A huge thank you to Tina Bowman, Jana Bowman, Ben Wieser, Gabrielle Ackal, Raife Hammons, the generous couple that gave her a home, the Kewanee Police Department, the Kewanee Fire Department, the Public Works Department, the City of Kewanee, and everyone who helped to rescue a tiny kitten from a storm drain. (I apologize if I forgot anyone or need to add any names to the list.) You can read the original story here.
