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| A cat rescued from a parking garage at UC Riverside was placed in a cage for transporation to an animal shelter. |
A female cat owes her freedom to three animal services employees, eight firefighters, a maintenance crew and one university dean. Last weekend, the small calico cat managed to wedge her head between two rocky crevices near the entrance to the parking structure located behind the University of California at Riverside Extension office.
University officials aren’t sure how long the cat was trapped, but Katrina Oskie, UCR Extension cultural activities coordinator, heard the cat meowing Monday morning, March 3. She called Riverside County Animal Services to help the cat.
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| An animal control officer comforts the rescued cat. |
After struggling to remove the cat, the animal service employees called in help from Riverside County firefighters. Still, the cat remained stuck, even after being coated with cooking grease to help her slide out more easily.
UCR Extension Dean Sharon Duffy asked UCR’s maintenance department to help. Electricians suggested using a sturdy metal bar to pry open the crevice, and the cat was retrieved and placed in a cage for transport to the animal shelter.
The cat escaped, however, when the cage fell and the door sprang open.
Several students found the cat the next day, and she has now been treated, bathed and vaccinated by Riverside County Animal Services. UCR Extension grant writer Suzanne Hartzell plans to adopt the cat after she is spayed. “I’m going to name her Katrina,” Hartzell said, “because she’s a survivor.”