When Jan Robinson’s 3-year-old indoor cat, Ellie, suddenly vanished from her Omaha home late last month, she feared the worst.
Around the same time Ellie went missing, Robinson was in the middle of a bathroom renovation. Her first thought was that one of the contractors might have accidentally let Ellie slip outside.
She searched everywhere, posted pleas for help and waited anxiously — but days turned into weeks with no sign of her beloved cat.
Then, three weeks later, something extraordinary happened.
Robinson heard a soft, unmistakable sound coming from her newly tiled bathroom.
Meowing.
The cries were coming from inside the wall.
It soon became clear that Ellie had likely crawled into the open wall during the renovation and remained hidden there as it was sealed shut — surviving, somehow, for nearly three weeks.
Shaken but hopeful, Robinson contacted a local humane society, which advised her to call in a professional who could safely investigate. That’s when Garrett Kohn from American Rooter Plumbing arrived to help.
“He cut into the wall and used a camera scope,” Cheryl, a spokesperson for the plumbing company, told The Dodo. “That’s when he saw Ellie’s glowing eyes staring back at him. After that, he carefully cut her out of the wall.”
Weak, frightened and exhausted, Ellie was finally freed.
Despite her ordeal — and having no obvious access to food or water — Ellie had miraculously survived. Robinson rushed her straight to the veterinarian, bracing for devastating news.
Instead, the vet delivered an incredible update.
“The only issue she had was a urinary tract infection,” Cheryl said. “She wasn’t even emaciated. The vet said there was nothing else visibly wrong and that she was going to be just fine.”
Ellie’s survival left everyone stunned.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Cheryl said.
Today, Ellie is back where she belongs — curled up with Robinson, receiving medication for her UTI and soaking in all the cuddles she missed while trapped behind the wall.
Everyone involved in the rescue is relieved and grateful for the happy ending.
“We’re a small, family-run business, so being able to help in a situation like this means everything to us,” Cheryl said. “Ellie’s home, Jan’s happy, and life is back to normal. It’s just so good.”
