Long-Lost Cat Rescued After Spending Five Days Trapped Behind a Wall

A frightened cat named Lola has been reunited with her family after surviving about five days trapped behind a wall in a home on Long Island, New York.

Lola disappeared about two weeks ago while her family was moving out of their second-floor apartment in Franklin Square. She had slipped underneath a floorboard and disappeared into the building.

Her owners initially tried to lure her out with food and cameras. A professional cat rescuer, John DeBacker, was eventually called in to help.

DeBacker, who has been rescuing cats for around 15 years, set up traps and cameras in an attempt to locate Lola. The cat would emerge at night but avoided the traps.

The situation became more serious when Lola stopped appearing altogether. Rescuers later discovered that she had fallen behind a wall and was trapped, apparently upside down.

By the time DeBacker and his team found her, Lola had been surviving in the confined space by eating insulation. She had no access to normal food or water and was becoming increasingly weak.

The rescuers used an endoscopic camera to locate Lola through a small opening. Because she was frightened, they chose a quieter drill rather than an electric saw to avoid startling her and causing her to move deeper into the wall.

Eventually, DeBacker was able to reach through the opening and grab Lola’s hind legs. He carefully pulled her backward and out of the wall.

Video of the rescue shows the exhausted cat being placed into a towel-lined carrier after she was finally freed. One of the rescuers can be heard celebrating when Lola was safely removed.

Lola was taken to an emergency veterinarian. Rescuers said insulation was found in her body, and she was still struggling with a poor appetite after returning home.

Despite the ordeal, Lola survived roughly five days trapped inside the wall without normal access to food or water.

DeBacker later offered a warning to other cat owners preparing to move: cats should be secured before the moving process begins because unfamiliar activity can cause them to hide in dangerous places.

For Lola’s family, the long search finally ended with their cat safely back home.

Sources:
Associated Press – “Catman” to the rescue, as man pulls stuck Long Island pet to safety