TEXAS – One very small gray feral kitten who was trapped in the floorboard of a shed in East El Paso is currently getting a rare second chance to become adoptable.
Animal Services was alerted to the kitty back on June 12 to the East Side home at about 7:30 p.m. after a homeowner realized there was a “cat” trapped in shed.
Animal Services Operations Manager Hugo Navarro explained that a field officer saw that it was actually a kitten and was underneath the shed’s floorboards. Navarro also stated the officer tried everything to coax the kitten out, but they soon realized its head was wedged in a board.
Navarro was not on the scene itself but was in communication with his field officer throughout the process.
“I tried to provide some guidance,” Navarro stated. “Somehow he got his head squeezed into one of the more narrow parts of the beam and was barely breathing.”
When using a control stick to try to free the kitten didn’t work at all, Navarro then suggested they call the fire department to assist. The fire department did respond and asked the homeowner for permission to tear out the floorboard blocking access to the kitten, Navarro stated.
Navarro’s officer reported that the tiny kitten had been rescued and was exhausted but very friendly. Everyone who was there on the scene was excited, giving high fives and petting the seemingly friendly kitten.
The entire rescue took a total of about four hours and the kitten was taken to the shelter to be assessed.
“I was very happy the next day,” Navarro stated. “The first thing I did the next day was to check on him.”
The female kitten, who has now been named Sapphire, was so exhausted following the ordeal that she did not resist the comfort of her rescuers.
Sapphire is actually a feral kitten.
However the animal shelter’s new community cats coordinator is taking the lead in an effort to try to socialize Sapphire to make her adoptable.
“She only responds to me,” Karen Burden stated.
Nowadays, Sapphire can usually be found climbing on Burden’s shoulder and hiding within her long brown hair from time to time.
Burden went on to explain that it will take eight weeks before Sapphire is adoptable.
She also mentioned that she and the staff including the new veterinarian Alana Canupp will take on the task of socializing Sapphire.
