'I heard a faint meow in the distance': Kind Goodwill shopper spends hours rescuing a terrified unique bobtail kitten that was all along hiding in a drain pipe, eventually catching her and giving her the life she deserves

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Mariel Ruvinsky • Writer and Editor
Nov 27, 2025 10:00 AM EST

Life for stray cats is difficult as it is. Dealing with weather changes, with humans, with other animals, looking for food and shelter all the time - that is difficult enough. Imagine the same thing for a kitten though. A tiny adorable kitten who is just starting to discover the world. The rate of survival for stray kitties is unfortunately not particularly high. But for a beautiful kitten, for a striking, unique kitten that stands out in the world like the one in this story, the chances would have been much, much lower, if she had no been found in time. 

A white bobtail kitten, that is what this kind person found in a drain pipe near Goodwill. The kitten was terrified, and animal services refused to help because the kitten wasn't stuck, she was just scared. But the rescuer knew, the same way that we know, that this kitten had to be rescued, that there's no telling how much longer she would have survived out there all on her own without help. So, they spent hours, sitting there, trying their best to get the kitten to trust them long enough to bring the kitten home. 

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  • 01
    I was walking out of a goodwill when I heard a faint meow in the distance, it led me to a drain pipe and I found this little one inside! I spent hours trying to get her out, eventually I caught her! meet Yuki. (and she's a bob tail)
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  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 10579240960
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    Crop
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  • 04
    Cheezburger Image 10579242240
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  • 05
    TRAVEL จา
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  • 06
    FFifoFFum Princess Yuki ?
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  • 07
    OP dreamybaths I knew Yuki meant snow in Japanese, and since she's all white I found it fitting!
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  • 08
    JFell87 How kind of you to spend hours getting her out. I hope you have many happy years together.
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  • 09
    OP dreamybaths it was an all day thing! people coming in and out of goodwill probably thought I was insane sitting next to a drain pipe I called animal control but they couldn't do anything essentially since she wasn't stuck, she was just too scared to come out. I eventually went home and got one of my other cats blankets and dropped it in front of the pipe hoping the smell would make her come out and it did! she sat on the blanket and I was able to pull it out with her on it.
    via dreamybaths

  • It does not matter how insane people might have thought you are, you so did the right thing. Such a striking kitten would have been a target for pretty much any and every animal in the area. There's no telling how long she would have survived without help. You didn't just rescue her, you saved her life. 

  • 10
    spiceddd Was her tail damaged to make it short or does it look like she was born with a bob tail?
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    OP dreamybaths https://preview.redd.it/tmxbxp20h width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=w here is her nub in all its glory.
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    1:02 LU
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  • 13
    paddington-1 The second picture-is the black part because something happened to her tail? I'm so glad she found a forever home.
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  • 14
    OP dreamybaths ole' girl was just very dirty from that drain. she got a well deserved bath shortly after!
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  • We are so happy to hear that she is happy and healthy! There's no telling, with some bobtails, how affected their spines may be, but this one… at least from what we can see, looks like a stretchy, bendy, purrfectly healthy unique little feline. 

  • 15
    peach_doll Picture 3 is so beautiful, she looks magical!! I'm so glad you saved her, she's so adorable!!
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  • 16
    420doghugz Her poor buns! So dirty:( That's no life for a white kitty (or any kitty)! Thank you for saving her
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  • 17
    DoriansSelfie I love that the second picture looks like she's showing everyone that she is indeed a bobtail. "See! No tail!" She's adorable.
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  • 18
    Cultural-Ambition449 Look at this beautiful little girl who has no idea she's just won the lottery
    via Cultural-Ambition449

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aww wholesome cat adorable adoption heartwarming cute adopted story Cats rescue
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