Builders seal cat into quake renovation houses - twice

Lynne Johnston's cat Gypsy Little is working through her nine lives. Photo / Martin Hunter

Builders accidentally sealed a Christchurch cat into a wall of a house for two days, before sealing her again into a neighbouring house's ceiling for a week.

Gypsy Little, now toothless after suffering severe gingivitis, was initially trapped inside a Kidson Tce lounge wall for two days then three weeks later was boarded up inside the ceiling of a neighbouring place for an entire week, sparking two separate, desperate rescue efforts.

"It was a tragedy, but she's fine," said relieved owner Lynne Johnston, now not taking any chances with the moggy safely caged at the Cashmere Veterinary Clinic.

"I think she's been a bit traumatised by the earthquakes so she goes burrowing into nice warm places."

While waiting for earthquake repairs to be finished at their own place, the pair shifted to temporary rental accommodation in Cashmere. But EQC was contacted about their new home and builders arrived to open up the lounge wall for testing. A square of plaster board "slightly larger than a cat flap-sized opening" was sliced out at floor level to enable a peek inside.

A short time later, replacement walling was firmly screwed back in place via electric drill. In between, Gypsy Little had suddenly vanished.

"Two days later, I heard this faint meowing and realised she was behind that wall, so I phoned the builder who asked if I had a screwdriver, then I raced down to the Warehouse to buy an electric drill."

But the shop sold her a rechargeable drill and she realised afterwards she could not use it immediately. "By the time I went back to get a refund, all the Warehouse staff knew about the cat and told me to get a fire engine."

As she raced back to Kidson Tce, her daughter had found an electric drill at work and the builder realised the seriousness of the situation, so all three converged to mount the rescue: "We took the gib off and the cat came out. She was terrified."

Just three weeks later, Gypsy Little vanished a second time, leaving Ms Johnston desperately hunting the area when the neighbour arrived at 10.30 one night. He had heard meows coming from above. "I was a crying wreck. There was this tiny hole in the gib and she poked her nose out, then her head and one paw."

The neighbour sliced into the ceiling to free the desperately hungry cat. Ms Johnston perched on a step ladder with a tray to entice her out.

"I don't blame anyone for this. She burrows, I've watched her getting into the back of drawers and fossicking around," Ms Johnston said.

She is now desperate to get Gypsy Little back and to return to Cashmere. "I'm still three years down the track, waiting for my house to be finished and renting in St Martins now. But I won't bring her back until the bathroom is finished and the builders have all gone."