Students and staff members at Port Jefferson High School in New York were going through the school’s parking lot when they heard something peculiar at the beginning of the previous month. It seemed as if little cries were coming from the ground below them, just above the noise of the playground.

They rapidly came to the conclusion that a little animal must be trapped inside a sewer drain. The firefighters came to open the drains, but they discovered nothing when they looked. Frankie John Floridia, a local animal rescuer, was quickly sent to the scene along with his colleague Eddie Stepinski thanks to the quick thinking of someone who called him.

Floridia and Stepinski set up traps and cameras within the sewer drain, and soon enough, they were able to see her. It was a little black cat that was buried quite deep under the asphalt.

Floridia was concerned that the circumstances may quickly become life-threatening for the cat; the rising water levels in the sewage system would not bode well for the animal in the event that rain fell.

Floridia was quoted as saying to The Dodo, “We realized we had to act quickly.”

The crew then waited while their traps were reset. Shea, Floridia’s daughter, strained her ears in the hopes of hearing the sounds of the cat meowing. They didn’t have much longer to wait when they heard a wonderful sound: one of the traps had successfully closed. The little cat was brought to safety above ground within a few minutes.

Floridia carried the kitten to the veterinarian, where the kitty was examined and given the appropriate treatment for her condition. He gave her the name Royal, which is the mascot of Port Jefferson High School.

Royal is now residing with Floridia until she gains the necessary skills to locate her forever home. Royal has successfully adapted to life above ground, and she is overjoyed to have so many people watching out for her.

The moment she catches sight of me, Floridia said, “She immediately begins to purr.” “She wants me to hold her and play with her,” the parent explains.

Even though Royal’s journey started in a terrible place, she will never have to experience being confined or abandoned again since so many kind people who love animals came to her aid.