Catherina (from Melaka) wrote to me on Wednesday night. Her kitten, Qing Qing’s younger sister had somehow gone into an empty shoplot behind her house and was now trapped inside the shophouse.
Catherina could hear her meowing and has been leaving food and water under the door.
There is only a window, but it is six foot high and there is no way the kitty could climb that high in order to get out.
I suggested that Catherina call the Fire Brigade and they did come on Thursday morning. However, they said it is against the law to break into the shoplot so nothing could be done.
Catherina has been trying for two days now and she still cannot find a way to get the kitty out. I suggested making a ladder of sorts, but that did not work either.
Here’s her latest email:
Thanks Dr for your emails. I tried again today after work just now. Enticing her with can food from the front door. There is a gap if you push hard the metal door. But she refused to come near. I use my hp to play a meowing sound, but it did not work. She went silent after hearing tht maybe she is afraid.
I fed her food and water all the time. There is a hole from the window near the toilet at the back. I climbed up but i cant see her but i can hear she is there looking. I used my hp to snap the photo and i saw her. Poor thing. :'(
I asked my mum to make a long rope by tying a few pieces of clothes together and we will put it in through the window and hope she can climb up and escaped from there. Tried to put in 1 pc of long wood but the end of the wood cant reach the floor as it get stucked half way. She cant jump coz the wall are tiles thus it is slippery as it is the toilet.
The only option, besides trying to look for any other opening, is to locate the owner of the shoplot and get him to open the door. The firemen have asked the neighbours but no one seemed to know who the owner is.
Catherina has now obtained the water meter number and will try to locate the owner today.
Meanwhile, please….we need ideas.
If you have any, please write a comment or contact Catherina directly at lotuselize_cat@hotmail.com
Please help!
If it were a human child that’s trapped, I think the rescue workers would break down the lock and take the child out, but because it’s a cat….
This is where I wish the Japanese rescue workers were here. They would not discriminate between human and animal.
But instead of wishful thinking, let’s put our heads together and see how we can help Catherina and the kitty.
Anyone from Melaka? Anyone knows anyone from Melaka who can help?
I’ve asked Catherina to contact the DVS and see if they can help. My friend suggested that Catherina checks at the land office for the owner of the shoplot. Or, go to the ADUN office and ask for help. Never mind if cats don’t vote, their owners do! We hope the ADUN will help Catherina.
If we believe that animals should not be discriminated upon, then let’s do the needful on our part.
PLEASE help, and let’s make a difference, shall we?
Comments
11 responses to “Kitty S.O.S from Melaka (please help! – URGENT)”
i think can call Jabatan Pertahanan Awam cos i pernah buat waktu Lucy terperangkap/memerangkapkan dirinya kat dlm dashboard kereta.
Maybe something bad threw the kitten into the empty shoplot through the tiny window for fun, like that mat salleh woman who stroked, petted somebody's manja cat, then quickly checked that no one was around or looking, then quickly grabbed the poor cat by the scruff and dumped it into the garbage bin trapping the poor cat inside. Thank God the owner heard it mewing in the evening and rescued it before the garbage truck came and everything was recorded by the owner's video camera.
I cannot imagine the kitty climbing the 6 foot wall and entering the small window by itself. Most cats which enter by themselves are able to come out on their own.
Just quietly saw or use a chisel and hammer to knock a hole at the bottom corner of the door big enough for the kitten to get out. It will simply look like a huge rat knawed a hole there, buat tatau! I remember when the civil servants first moved into Putrajaya, most of the wooden doors (even the solid wood ones) had huge holes at the bottom corners caused by the intelligent huge rats who suddenly found their way blocked when the humans suddenly put up the doors, trapping them inside some rooms.
But do it QUIETLY la, not with 20 neighbours watching …. at night even better …. good luck!
Hi Kahyein,
I rescued Target once from getting stuck on the wrong side of a 2 meter high wall by letting down a bed sheet. The sheet is wide and soft so he stuck his claws into it and then we pulled him up.
I can't help find the shop owner as the lady hasn't given an address. If she does, I'll facebook and tweet about it. This may help find the owner.
Cheers,
Ellen
Catherine, since you tried pushing the metal door and could manage a gap, can you jam the door with a brick or something so that the gap remains open and kitty could squeeze out on her own once she has calmed down?
But make sure the brick blocking is secure so that it gets pushed out and kitten might get caught trying to get through, getting injured/squashed if the metal door snaps shut suddenly should the brick falls out.
Catherine, or you can tie to one another the corners of many of the free gunny sacks (you can find them at wet markets selling onions, garlics) joining all to form one long "blanket" till it touches the bathroom floor on the other side.
Gunny sacks are rough and offers good grip for kitty to climb up and through. But you need to pile some huge cardboard boxes on the other side (outside) for kitty to come down because most cats (except for Norwegian Forest cats) do not know how to climb down nose downwards. The boxes will form a sort of steps of different levels for kitty to jump down.
Leave the things there and walk away so that kitty will calm down and find her 'prepared" way out since your presence might still make her anxious.
Good luck!
Thank you, everyone, for all your pro-active and very useful ideas. I've forwarded all your comments to Catherina by email. Let's hope something works.
Thank you!
You will soon be out & safe little kittie. See how our "panel of advisors" trying & hoping their best for your freedom.
Once a kittie was thrown in a big dump bin (5' X 5' X 4') sand meowing his heart out whole night.
In the morning, I picked my guts & break open the grill during broad daylight while all passerby looked on. Finally, after a few cut on my hands and fingers, I managed to get him out.
Phew, I went home tired but very happy after the "ordeal" & got good shelling from my mom for damaging people's property. Never mind the scolding, as long as I can help a stray baby in distress.
Kudos, Devi! Too many people only think and ask, "Is the action the right thing to do?", "Is the action the correct thing to do?", "Nanti orang marah how?", "Nanti damage something, how?", rather than think whether the action is doing the RIGHT THING, which in this case is to save the kitty's life without harming or killing another human.
Too often people get hurt when we get blunt and wallow in self-pity padahal the blunt words are for their own good and they actually do not harming, just hurt their feelings and delicate ego because it is a fact that the real truth often hurts us. There is a big difference between harming and simply hurting. That is how we strive and improve ourselves in life.
In management speak, we always say, "Doing the right thing is not the same as doing things right."
Do not always strive for the popular, do what is right and effective and bring results.
Just like I always get an earful that spaying/neutering the strays is DOSA, but I do not mind the punishment (if any) for a small dosa in favor of the greater good for the poor suffering strays, their kittens and the community at large.
Devi, you and I sama gang and sama kepala, ha ha! ….
I pray that Catherine gets the poor kitty out soon!
Contact LHDN Melaka immediately and get Lam Ah Man's mobile/telefon number from the tax database. All taxpayers write their telephone number on their assessment forms for the LHDN to contact them. Do it QUIETLY! 😉
Thanks evyone for your concerns and ideas.
I was about to go to the local council to check for the owner of this property. I thought if i failed to trace the owner then i will knock a deep hole on the cement floor under the door so Jackie can squeeze herself out. Now Jackie is safe and free. But she got a few cuts on the face result from her trying to force herself out through the metal door.
Poor thing. Don't worry Jackie you are safe now with your mommy.God Bless evyone.
Thank you all very much.