We’ve all experienced that mini-heart attack when our cat hides so well we think they’ve broken out of the house. But for one family in the New York City suburbs of Long Island, a standard moving-day game of hide-and-seek turned into a miraculous five-day rescue mission.
Meet Lola, the incredibly resilient feline who took "staying out of sight" to an entirely new, structural level.
The Ultimate Moving Day Mishap
Moving houses is stressful for humans, but it can be downright terrifying for pets. On September 4th, as her family packed up their belongings to head to a new home, a frightened Lola decided she needed a safe haven. She managed to slip through an opening beneath a loose floorboard.
When the family realized she was missing, they did everything right: they set up humane traps, left out food, and even mounted motion-activated cameras. But days passed, and Lola never appeared on camera. The house grew emptier, and the dread grew heavier.
Enter "Catman" to the Rescue
After days of agonizing silence, the family knew they needed professional help. They called in John DeBacker, a dedicated local animal rescuer who literally wears his mission on his sleeve—sporting a signature “Catman” T-shirt.
DeBacker arrived at the old house armed with experience and a determination to find Lola. He eventually tracked the faint signs of life to the main level of the home. Lola hadn't just run away; she was trapped completely upside down inside a narrow wall cavity, entirely unable to back her way out.
The Miraculous Extraction
To get her out, DeBacker had to carefully execute an intricate extraction, cutting directly into the wall of the home. When he finally pulled Lola free, she was exhausted, terrified, and had spent roughly five days suspended without food or water.
"Seeing the cat alive was the greatest thing in the world," DeBacker later shared.
A Quick Detour to the Vet
Because she had been stuck in the tight space for so long, Lola had accidentally ingested some of the home's fiberglass insulation. She was rushed to a local veterinarian, where the insulation was safely removed from her stomach.
Despite her harrowing ordeal, follow-up vet visits have confirmed that this tough little kitty is making a full recovery and is officially back in the arms of her incredibly relieved family.
