Cat-astrophe avoided: Austin crews rescue cat from drain

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Cat-astrophe avoided: A local cat is safe and sound after Austin firefighters and animal control officers rescued it from a drain, the Austin Firefighters Association shared on Facebook Thursday.

Crews responded to a call for public assistance, with the caller saying the cat was stuck in a 4" French drain. After numerous attempts to remove the cat, crews set out food in hopes it would draw the cat out on its own.

Firefighters returned the next day and, using a structural collapse search camera, found the cat was still stuck in the drain. Austin Animal Control officers responded to the scene and had tools available to free the cat.

When freed, the furry friend was safe and uninjured — and definitely hungry.

"[T]he tools we have are useful in many different applications, having multiple fire units in close proximity can usually get the job done, & we’re proud to work with many other reliable city entities," the post read in part. "Thank you for your hard work & relentless problem solving skills!"