Curiosity Didn't Kill This Cat: Kitten Climbs Out Of Jurupa Valley Chimney On Red Bedsheet
JURUPA VALLEY (CBSLA) — A kitten named Rudy got permission to claw the sheets from his Jurupa Valley owner after falling into a chimney and into a sealed-off fireplace.
The 6-month-old kitten likely used one of his nine lives this week when climbed the roof and fell down the chimney Tuesday, becoming trapped in a fireplace that had been sealed many years ago. Animal services officials say his meows could be heard from behind the ceramic redesigns.
Rescuing Rudy could have been more destructive and expensive. And Riverside County Department of Animal Services Officer Chris Peck didn't have a device long enough to reach the kitten. So he came up with a brilliantly simple solution – a bedsheet.
"This is a first for us," Riverside County Department of Animal Services spokesman John Welsh said in an email.
The officer strung together pieces of a red bedsheet, and making sure it had some knots in it, then dropped it to the bottom of the chimney. Rambunctious Rudy couldn't resist – he climbed up the sheet and got out of the chimney himself. Rudy wasn't injured, and was caught on a Ring camera later that night, wandering the backyard.
And while homeowner Natasha Hunter was delighted with the officer's willingness to try something unconventional to rescue Rudy, she said she would have understood if he had to take more drastic measures.
"He said, 'worse case scenario, we're going to have to make a hole in your house,'" she said.
