NORTON
A rescue saga from a sewer to the high-life in Manhattan

Last year’s Mewsings began, “When you are dedicated to rescuing strays and courageous and agile enough to do whatever it takes, trees become a big part of your life.” Well, unfortunately, so do sewers! So when Nikki received a call from one of our volunteers that a friend of hers was trying to get help for a small kitten that had been trapped in a city sewer for more than two days, Nikki was on her way. Men from the Water Department had made several attempts to free the kitten, but each time they got close, the terrified kitten retreated into a protruding sewer pipe. Bits of food dropped from above were immediately swept away by the rising water.

Paul, a maintenance employee who loved animals, tried to rescue the kitten, too, but had the same sad luck. That kitten was not about to let anyone get near enough to touch him, even though cold sewer water engulfed him whenever he retreated into the pipe. In the rescue van was a very small squirrel trap, which Nikki judged would fit into the pipe if she could get it there. With food in the trap, and a string tied around it, she lowered the trap into the sewer. Paul pushed the entire trap into the pipe with a long pole, but the water swooshing in from the other end of the pipe swirled over the food before the kitten could get near it.

Volunteers from the fire department came to watch, and ordered Nikki and Paul out of the sewer. The reason? The city didn’t want a lawsuit if they got sick from the fumes of polluted sewer water (nothing said about the fate of the kitten). Nikki and Paul refused to move; the kitten was still alive but would not be much longer. To leave him there was unthinkable. But what now?

A thought crossed Nikki’s mind. Was there room enough for the kitten to fit on top of the trap if food were put there where it would be above the water, and which hopefully the kitten could smell? There was. An hour went by and Nikki and Paul were frantic. They were sure that this small kitten would drown before he would ever be brave enough, traumatized as he was, and strong enough to climb on top of the trap. But miracles do happen, and within another half hour, kitten was nibbling at the food. Ever so slowly and smoothly, Paul pulled the string to edge the trap out of the dripping pipe, and when he did, Nikki grabbed the kitten. Filthy dirty, soaking wet, exhausted and hungry, our kitten was an otherwise healthy, jet black little male, about five to six weeks old. A bath, good food, and two weeks’ rest, and he was playing with the other kittens at Just Strays. Choosing a name for this little guy wasn’t much of a challenge. Could it be anything other than Norton?

Norton was adopted a short time ago. He is happy and secure in a Manhattan apartment---nice and high---nice and dry!