It was a crisp September day when Isabel, a resident of Connecticut, headed out for a routine walk with her sons, Ari and River. As they often did, the trio ventured up their long, wooded road, soaking in the sights and sounds of the waning summer.
Their goal was to reach the hilltop and enjoy the view of their neighborhood. However, their plans abruptly changed when an unexpected sound stopped them in their tracks — a faint cry for help from beneath their feet.
“We heard these little squeaky meows, but we couldn’t figure out where they were coming from,” Isabel recalled. “It sounded like they were coming from underground.”
Immediately, Isabel, Ari, and River began searching for the source of the cries. Their investigation led them to an open drainage pipe beneath the road.
Peering into the pipe, they found themselves face-to-face with a full-grown calico cat crouching near the entrance.
The mysterious cat captivated the little family. They were familiar with all the pets in their neighborhood and knew this friendly feline didn’t belong to anyone nearby. Despite being a stranger, the cat was surprisingly sociable.
“We stopped and sat on the side of the road to see if she’d come out, and she did!” Isabel said. “She even let us pet her a few times before retreating back into the drain.”
After spending a moment with her newfound friends, the cat disappeared into the drainage pipe. Curious and concerned, Isabel began asking around about the cat.
“Because of how friendly she was, we knew right away she wasn’t feral,” Isabel said. “But it was strange — she wouldn’t leave the area near the drain. We thought she might be a lost pet, so we asked the neighbors, but no one was missing her.”
Although the cat refused to leave the drainpipe, Isabel and her sons couldn’t bear to leave her there alone.
“We started visiting her daily and leaving her food, as did a few neighbors,” Isabel said. “One of them mentioned she had been there for about a week.”
Isabel could tell the cat was older, and as the temperatures began to drop, her determination to help grew stronger. She reached out to friends and contacted shelters across Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts, but no one could take the cat in.
With a cat already at home, Isabel hesitated to adopt the drainpipe-dweller herself, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave her behind.
“I just couldn’t leave her there,” Isabel said. “She was so sweet and would come out to get pets every time we walked by.”
Finally, Isabel decided to capture the cat and take her to the vet to check her health. Surprisingly, it didn’t take much effort to coax her out.
“I didn’t have anything to lure her out,” Isabel said. “I just waited for her to come out as usual, then scooped her up in a carrier and brought her to the vet.”
At the vet’s office, Isabel’s perspective shifted entirely.
“That’s when I knew I had to figure out a way to keep her,” Isabel said. “The vet said her behavior — staying in one spot and not being seen before — suggested someone had abandoned her. She’s about 10 years old and had clearly been someone’s pet.”
The once-abandoned cat received a clean bill of health, and by the time she left the clinic, she had found her forever home with Isabel’s family.
“I told the vet I wanted to find her a home, but he laughed and said, ‘Congratulations on your new cat,’” Isabel said.
Her sons lovingly named the cat Drain Pipe, and she has been thriving in her new home ever since.
“At first, she was very shy,” Isabel said. “She would do laps around the house, sniffing and hiding at every noise. Now, she loves cottage cheese and sleeps on a kitchen chair with a pillow on it.”
It’s been a few months since Drain Pipe joined Isabel’s family, and she couldn’t be happier. She even gets along well with their other cat, who happens to be the same age.
When she’s not curled up on her favorite chair, Drain Pipe enjoys cuddling with her little humans or playing in the backyard.
“She’s a lovely and quirky old lady,” Isabel said. “Now she lives a life of luxury.”
