A newborn kitten that was found inside some drywall has been rescued by a construction worker, and now she has a whole new lease of life.
The kitten, now named Tubby, was found on September 12 in the middle of a housing construction site. Workers had been on site to start the drywalling, but when they returned days later, they could hear a small creature crying out.
Upon making the discovery, they called the construction manager, Wyatt Pressley, 25, to see what they’d found. There was no doubt in his mind about taking the kitten home and giving her the care she needed, along with the help of his wife, Bailey Pressley.
It’s thought that the kitten was in the drywall for at least two days by herself. Bailey, 25, of North Carolina, told Newsweek that it’s “a miracle” she survived for so long without her mom, food, warmth, or milk.
“His drywallers came on Wednesday 10, and our suspicion is that the momma cat had probably brought her kittens into the house for shelter,” Bailey said. “When the drywallers came in to complete their task, the momma cat grabbed as many as she could, and Tubby got left behind.
She continued: “We put her on my heating pad and tried feeding her milk from a bottle. She wasn’t quite strong enough to suckle, so we had to run back to the store for a syringe to feed her. She was too young to go potty on her own, so we would rub a warm cloth on her private areas to get her to pee/poo. We set up a small bin with the heating pad, a makeshift sock warmy, and a towel over it to trap warmth in.”
As Tubby was so young, she required feeding every two to three hours, which meant taking shifts throughout the days and nights. In order to track her growth, the couple started weighing Tubby before and after feedings. They also gave Tubby multiple baths as she was covered in fleas, but thankfully she seemed to relax in the water.
Bailey believes Tubby was only around three weeks old when she was rescued, as her eyes weren’t colored yet and her ears hadn’t taken shape.
It was only their intention to look after Tubby over the weekend before taking her to a rescue. But just a few days with her was enough to form a lifelong bond.
Bailey said: “I’m allergic to cats so we were planning to just keep her until Monday when the shelters opened, but we fell in love over the weekend and knew she had to be ours. I am now taking allergy meds, but she doesn’t shed much so it hasn’t been bad.
“I had also always told my husband that we wouldn’t buy a kitten because I was allergic but if one chose us, we could keep her, so I had to stick to my promise,” she continued.
Tubby gradually started to improve in the weeks that followed. She was slowly able to feed on her own, she required less regular feedings, and her personality is already starting to shine through.
The kitten now weighs around 2 pounds and has been given a clean bill of health by the vets.
“She definitely knows what she likes and what she doesn’t. Our two dogs have been so gentle and loving, and we are so proud of them too. They play all morning, sleep all afternoon and then play again all night—Tubby is truly the perfect addition for us,” Bailey told Newsweek.
Tubby’s adoption story was shared on TikTok (@baileylpressley) and it’s gone viral with over 6.7 million views at the time of writing. Internet users have praised Bailey and Wyatt for taking a chance on Tubby, and many have even offered their own sage advice.
Rescuing a neonatal kitten certainly wasn’t on Bailey or Wyatt’s bingo cards, but they are so glad Tubby came into their lives. Now, they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“If you come across an abandoned animal, do your best to help it. Whether that’s taking them in as your own or finding someone who will, they will be forever grateful,” Bailey said.
In just a matter of days, the TikTok post about Tubby’s rescue has amassed over 7,300 comments so far.
One comment reads: “the cat distribution system has spoken.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “Everyone is overlooking the husband, how sweet of him to know that kitten would have a chance at life at your home.”
While another person replied: “thank you for being her hero.”
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