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Waukegan Firefighters Rescue Kitten Stuck In Drain Pipe

CHICAGO (CBS) -- While Waukegan police continue to investigate the apparent hanging of a cat last week, some firefighters in that same far northern suburb rescued a trapped kitten on Monday.

A Waukegan resident called police around 10:30 a.m. Monday to tell them, after hearing cries, they found a kitten stuck in a drain pipe next to a home on the 600 block of Home Avenue.

Police Lt. Edward Fitzgerald said firefighters were called in to help rescue the kitten, who was stuck about five feet down in the drain pipe, which was only a couple feet wide.

"Basically, they made up a capture pole kind of thing, where they took a conduit pipe, and ran a rope through it to make a loop at the end, and they were able to loop and lasso the cat, and lift it out of the drain tube," he said.

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It took about two hours to get the cat free, but Fitzgerald said they were able to rescue the kitten, named Piper.

The kitten was being treated at a shelter for a possible respiratory infection, but once it's better – if no one has claimed it – the kitten will be available for adoption.

Rescued Kitten
(Credit: City of Waukegan)
Rescued Kitten
(Credit: City of Waukegan)
Rescued Kitten
(Credit: City of Waukegan)
Firefighters Rescue Kitten
(Credit: City of Waukegan)
FIrefighters Rescue Kitten
(Credit: City of Waukegan)
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