It took hours, muddy hands, and some big-hearted locals to rescue a kitten trapped in a drain, but thanks to them, little Sprigs is safe.
Kloof, South Africa (11 August 2025) – They say it takes a village to raise a child, but on Thursday night in Kloof, it took a village to save a kitten.
The story of little Sprigs began at Fields Centre, where customers and the owners of Sprigs The Food Shop thought they could hear faint cries coming from an outside drain. Food was left out in the hope the tiny voice would follow it to safety, but by the end of the day, there was still no sign of the little one.
That’s when Barbara Patrick, Manager of the Kloof and Highway SPCA, and Operations Manager, Sarah van Heerden, decided to take a drive and check for themselves.
“Sadly, when we arrived, we could hear what sounded like a kitten crying from the drain,” they said.
Knowing they’d need more hands and a little bit of specialist help, the call went out.
CPF Chairperson, Sam Shallcross, contacted Ganga Plumbers, who had a drain camera to locate the kitten. Roger Leigh from Leigh Plumbers also headed over without hesitation. Meanwhile, SPCA Maintenance Supervisor, Ephraim Ntuli, left his gym session mid-workout to help lift the heavy concrete drain cover.
For the next four hours, this impromptu rescue team worked side by side. Digging, checking the camera, and making sure the kitten wouldn’t be harmed in the process.
At last, they could see him: 1.5 metres down, wet, frightened, and still calling out for help.
When the final opening was made and Sprigs was lifted out, the relief was instant.
“Everyone was overjoyed and relieved that the kitten, despite being wet, smelly, and frightened, was alive and out the drain,” the SPCA shared.
He was named Sprigs, after the shop whose owners first raised the alarm.
Back at the SPCA, the team gave him a wipe-down, food, water, and a warm bed. By morning, he’d had a gentle bath, been wrapped in a towel, and snuggled right back into bed.
As Roger Leigh put it during the rescue, “It doesn’t matter what animal we are rescuing, it’s still an animal that needs our help.”
It takes a few people who care enough to stop what they’re doing, roll up their sleeves, and make it happen.
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