GAINESVILLE, Va. -- There's a barn home waiting for the little orange kitten police officers saved from drowning in a Gainesville drain pipe last month.
The tabby, who appears to be about six months old, is now in a foster home and is being evaluated, said Pam Draper, director of the Centreville rescue group Dewey Animals, Inc.
Draper said it appears the cat had never had human contact until the night he got stuck in a drain on Soapstone Drive in Gainesville, during a downpour.
Residents there called police, thinking they heard screaming. Officers arrived to find the cat up to his neck in the pipe. Officers used cups to scoop water away from his face and keep him from drowning until they got equipment on the scene to cut him free.
Officers took the kitty to the police station after his rescue, where they dried him off and fed him before sending him to the animal shelter.
Volunteers with Dewey Animals picked the cat up a few days later. Draper said there's a barn home waiting if the feral feline can't be acclimated to people.
The tabby was lucky, Draper said, but most feral cats are not. Last year, 64 percent of cats taken to the Prince William animal shelter were euthanized, she said.
"Everyone needs to do their part in decreasing this by spay or neutering their animal," she said.
Dewey Animals and other rescue groups try to offer free and low-cost spay and neuter programs, but have had funding issues due to the economy.
Dewey is looking for anyone with land and a barn to offer a home to cats who can't be socialized. Anyone who can help is asked to check out the group's Web site at http://members.cox.net/deweyanimals/.
Communities editor Kari Pugh can be reached at 703-530-3901.
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