One day Klye, a construction worker from Connecticut, spied movement on the surveillance camera at work. A group of kittens were playing just outside the building. But then one of them jumped into an open barrel and disappeared from view!
A great howl started coming from the metal drum. At first, Kyle thought the loud sound must be coming from a larger cat and went to investigate. Unsure of what he was about the find, he started filming as he approached.
Surveillance camera spots the kitten jumping into the barrel. Images and media via TikTok/knort_81
That’s when he made the shocking discovery: the orange kitten, later named Lilo, was drowning in filthy liquid! There were just seconds left to save her! It was she who had been making the supersized yowls.
Freed from the Barrel Just in Time
Gently turning over the barrel, Lilo came floating out along with the trash and murky water. She had narrowly avoided drowning and could barely move, still crying faintly in distress. The kitten continued making small swimming motions with her paws but was completely exhausted.
Kyle was horrified and couldn’t believe what he found.
“Oh no! Please be ok!” he said repeatedly.
This kitten needed to be warmed up and fast! Although he wasn’t a “cat person,” he immediately found a warm blanket and gently warmed up the traumatized kitten. Slowly, she started moving again (see video below).
Then, he gave her a gentle, warm bath with some Dawn dish soap and took her to the vet first thing the next morning. Despite how bad things looked at first, she was going to be just fine!
From Trashcan to Polydactyl Ginger Princess
The video of the rescue posted to TikTok went viral, and everyone wanted to know how Lilo was doing. It was a follower who suggested her name, which fortunately stuck over another option, “Trashcan.”
After receiving thousands of concerned comments, Kyle appeared with the kitten and explained how the orange girl won him over.
“I’m not a cat person,” but went on to say, “This cat is loving me and purring in my ear, nuzzling, and whatnot, but yeah, I wasn’t a cat person.”
Kyle and Lilo
Thank goodness Lilo made a full recovery and was the cutest little thing. She’s both adorable and uncommon, a female ginger with polydactyl paws. Maybe those big paws with opposable thumbs helped keep her afloat just long enough for Kyle to rescue her.
A New Family and Humongous Sister
The family fell in love with Lilo and adopted her, where she fit right in with them all. One of the family is a humongous 2-year-old, 120-pound St. Bernard named Winnie. At first, Lilo was nervous about such a big dog, but soon realized how gentle she was. Then, the tiny kitten began pouncing on the St. Bernard without any fear.
“Winnie just wants all the kisses”
A video by The Dodo about Kyle, Lilo, and the Barrel:
Today, Lilo is a beloved part of the family and cherished furever!
You can see more on TikTok at knort_81.
Here is the happiest update on how far Lilo has come since that scary day in the barrel. It’s another good reminder to be mindful of open containers and pipes which kittens seem to be attracted to like magnets.
