At first, it sounded like a normal recovery stop after a spay. Then a feral cat named Luna vanished inside a home in Winnebago, Illinois. Soon, her caregiver realized the truth. Luna had slipped through a small opening and got stuck inside the basement bathroom walls.
Next came a long stretch of worry and work. The rescue ran for 11 days, and it took more than one person to finish it. Still, Luna made it out alive, and she stayed every bit as feisty as you would expect.
A quiet basement, then a bad surprise
Luna lived outdoors as part of a feral colony. So when a local volunteer, Danielle Freeman, trapped her for a spay, the goal stayed simple. Give Luna a short indoor recovery window, then return her to the colony.
But Luna did what scared feral cats often do in new spaces. She looked for a tight hiding spot, and she found one fast.
At first, Freeman searched the basement and listened for movement. Then she noticed Luna had reached the bathroom. Soon after, she found the weak point in the room. A small gap near the wall gave Luna a route into the drywall cavity. From there, Luna disappeared into a narrow space with no easy exit.
The early plan: food, water, patience
Right away, Freeman set a live trap in the bathroom. She placed food and water near the opening, and she waited. Then she waited some more.
Still, Luna did not come out.
Over the next day, the silence made the situation feel worse. So Freeman called for help. A local contractor, Kristina O’Neill of Koja Construction, joined the effort and started looking at the wall layout. Then the plan shifted from waiting to searching.
Cutting into walls without hurting the cat
At first, the team tried to locate Luna by sound. Then they tried to track her position by checking the wall areas that made sense for a cat’s path. Soon, they started cutting careful access holes into the drywall.
That step takes nerve. You want a big enough opening to work through, but you also want the area controlled and calm. So the group moved slowly. They cut, they paused, and they checked again.
Then they added tools that can see into tight spaces, like small cameras and scopes. That finally gave them proof Luna was still there. After that, the work turned into a steady narrowing of the search area. Each new opening gave the team a better angle, and each angle helped them get closer.
Do feral cats act “nice” in rescues like this? Not really. They stay stressed, and they stay defensive. So the team treated Luna like a scared wild animal, not a pet that wants comfort.
The final reach, and the bite that came with it
By day 11, the rescuers got close enough to attempt a direct grab. Then the moment arrived.
O’Neill reached into the wall space and secured Luna. Luna fought back at once, and she bit O’Neill’s hand. Even so, O’Neill held on long enough for the team to pull Luna free.
After that, O’Neill went to the emergency room for treatment and started antibiotics. Later, reports said she developed a blood clot. Still, she stood by the choice to step in and help.
What happened to Luna next
Then came the part everyone wanted. Luna got checked out and was cleared. She did not turn into a cuddly cat overnight, and nobody expected that. So the rescue team returned her to her outdoor colony, which remained the safest familiar place for her.
This story also has a simple takeaway for anyone who helps community cats. Indoor recovery spaces need quick checks for gaps near bathrooms, basements, and utility lines. Even a small hole can turn into a trap. Then, if a cat disappears, acting early matters.
And if you like stories that follow real pet life trends, you can also peek at this related read on PetSafeNest about name popularity and what people keep choosing next: Luna stays No. 1 in Canada and the U.S. These pet names keep climbing in 2025.
In the end, Luna’s rescue came down to persistence. First the team searched. Then they narrowed the spot. Next they cut access points. After that, they reached in and pulled her out. And finally, the cat walked out alive after 11 long days hidden behind drywall.
