A rabbit was inside the pipe the cat's head is stuck in...
Trying to remove the cat's head without injury...
He's been named Squeeze.From today's Boulder Daily Camera: Story written by Heath Urie, Photos by Marty Caivano
Curiosity nearly did kill a Boulder County cat on Wednesday afternoon. Following some tense moments -- and a furry surprise -- Boulder County animal control officers and Boulder firefighters managed to free a tomcat that was found with his head stuck in a pipe. Suzanne Engert, who lives in the 11000 block of Flatiron Drive in Erie, reported finding the black-and-white cat lodged in a large metal pipe around 12:30 p.m. She said she walked behind her shed to see her garden when "something sort of caught my eye."
"This black cat was just laying there," she said. "I must have walked past the cat a couple of times." Engert said it appeared as if the cat had been digging with its feet to try to free itself for some time. Animal control officers suspect the cat may have been stuck in the pipe for as long as two days. After Engert tried unsuccessfully to free the cat herself, firefighters with the Mountain View Fire District arrived and cut away a section of the pipe so that officers could try to free it. Despite efforts to lube the cat's head using vegetable oil and soap, the cat remained stuck.
So officials brought the cat -- pipe and all -- to the Humane Society of Boulder Valley. There, Boulder firefighters worked with veterinary staffers and animal control officers to free the cat. Following several tense minutes when it appeared firefighters could not break open the pipe without hurting the animal, the cat's head popped out to the cheers of a small crowd that had gathered to watch the rescue operation. Brandy Perkins, a Boulder County animal control officer, nearly burst into tears. "I'm really emotional," she said. "You have to love animals to do this job."
Perkins and her partner, Sara Spensieri, said they are sure the cat got stuck while chasing a rabbit into the pipe. But they didn't know that the rabbit in question was still in the pipe with the cat until Perkins was driving to the Humane Society. "We were driving ... and I see this thing flying around the back," Perkins said. The rabbit jumped out of the vehicle at the Humane Society and ran off -- escaping both the cat and the pipe. Perkins said the cat could be feral, or possibly a "barn cat." It was not neutered.
Kim Sporrer, a spokeswoman for the Humane Society, said the cat was in stable condition Wednesday afternoon after coming off of sedatives. She said animal control officers would have to decide what to do with it. Officials said they will evaluate the cat's medical and behavioral health to determine whether it can be adopted, or, should an owner step forward, they'll return the cat -- which they've named "Squeeze" -- to that person. Sporrer said the cat will not be let free where it was found.
"Poor little guy," said Engert, the homeowner who found the cat. "I'm happy I found him in time."
"This black cat was just laying there," she said. "I must have walked past the cat a couple of times." Engert said it appeared as if the cat had been digging with its feet to try to free itself for some time. Animal control officers suspect the cat may have been stuck in the pipe for as long as two days. After Engert tried unsuccessfully to free the cat herself, firefighters with the Mountain View Fire District arrived and cut away a section of the pipe so that officers could try to free it. Despite efforts to lube the cat's head using vegetable oil and soap, the cat remained stuck.
So officials brought the cat -- pipe and all -- to the Humane Society of Boulder Valley. There, Boulder firefighters worked with veterinary staffers and animal control officers to free the cat. Following several tense minutes when it appeared firefighters could not break open the pipe without hurting the animal, the cat's head popped out to the cheers of a small crowd that had gathered to watch the rescue operation. Brandy Perkins, a Boulder County animal control officer, nearly burst into tears. "I'm really emotional," she said. "You have to love animals to do this job."
Perkins and her partner, Sara Spensieri, said they are sure the cat got stuck while chasing a rabbit into the pipe. But they didn't know that the rabbit in question was still in the pipe with the cat until Perkins was driving to the Humane Society. "We were driving ... and I see this thing flying around the back," Perkins said. The rabbit jumped out of the vehicle at the Humane Society and ran off -- escaping both the cat and the pipe. Perkins said the cat could be feral, or possibly a "barn cat." It was not neutered.
Kim Sporrer, a spokeswoman for the Humane Society, said the cat was in stable condition Wednesday afternoon after coming off of sedatives. She said animal control officers would have to decide what to do with it. Officials said they will evaluate the cat's medical and behavioral health to determine whether it can be adopted, or, should an owner step forward, they'll return the cat -- which they've named "Squeeze" -- to that person. Sporrer said the cat will not be let free where it was found.
"Poor little guy," said Engert, the homeowner who found the cat. "I'm happy I found him in time."
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