Watch Rescuers Save a Cute Kitten Who Was Somehow Stuck Inside a Light Pole

Kittens can squeeze themselves into just about any tiny space, but inside a light pole is a new one.
By Chad Taylor September 09, 2021 Advertisement Pin FB More Tweet Email Send Text Message Print

I have no idea how this happens, even though it keeps happening: Workers with the Lincoln Transportation and Utilities (LTU) Traffic Engineering Division responded to an unusual call in downtown Lincoln, Neb., last week, rescuing a kitten who had managed to get herself trapped in a light pole.

We've written in the past about the tribulations of kittens stuck in pipes. Pipe-based emergencies are something that happens to dogs, too, but in canines the affliction seems to usually be localized to the head, whereas kittens tend to jump into pipes with full-bodied abandon. And what, when you really think about it, are poles? Nothing but really tall pipes.

So here we are: a tiny, black and white kitten, who has somehow managed to find her way into the guts of a light pole. But, as is so often the case in these situations, once she's in there, she has no idea how it happened or how to reverse the process. So she calls for help. Those teeny, tiny mews on Friday were heard by passersby, who called LTU workers and the rescue was underway.

kitten saved from light pole Credit: Courtesy of Lincoln Transportation and Utilities

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As rescues go, this one was a pretty simple affair. In the video on LTU's Facebook page, a worker simply unscrews an access panel at the base of the pole and there sits our little friend, looking back at the workers from behind some wires she's clinging to.

But, as anyone who has ever been caught in an embarrassing situation can probably relate to, our little kitten's first reaction is to turn a bit defensive. As a worker reached a (comparatively giant) gloved hand into the pole to pull the kitten free, she bats and hisses at the worker's fingers, clearly telling him to mind his own business and move along. "Why is everyone making a big deal out of this?" the kitten wonders. "It's not like I've broken any laws. Show me the municipal statute that says I can't be in here."

The video then jump-cuts to an image of the kitten, freed from the pole and placed in a protective cardboard box. Safely extracted, she was then transported to the Capital Humane Society were, we are happy to report, she's safe and being looked after.

"She was too young and underweight to be put up for adoption," Executive Director Shannon Martin-Roebuck tells Daily Paws. "So she's currently in foster care. But once she is 8 weeks old and at least 2 pounds, she'll be up available for adoption."

So if you're in the Lincoln area and looking for a kitten in a couple of weeks, keep this little one in mind. Just be aware: She's an explorer.