How far would you go to save your cat?

Buttons a cat who fell down a well
Buttons a cat who fell down a well

How far would you go to save your cat? This is about a man who fell down a 40-50 foot well trying to rescue his sister’s cat. I wanted to share this story with the readers here because it shows just how devoted people in my area are to their cats. This happened on January 29 in upstate South Carolina, USA, about an hour from my home.

Joey Dover, an animal lover, gave his sister a female, grey and white cat eight years ago, whom the sister named Buttons. On Wednesday, Joey attempted to climb down a well at his sister’s home in Gaffney shortly before 8 p.m. to rescue Buttons. The well was underneath the house (the bathroom in fact). Buttons, had been missing for several days, and from what I gathered Joey was under the house trying to get to the cat when things went wrong.

Joey, a cat lover who tried to rescue Buttons
Joey, a cat lover who tried to rescue Buttons

I’ve heard conflicting reports on whether Buttons was ever in the well. One news station reported he was and another said the cat wasn’t in the well. I lean toward believing Buttons had fallen in, and Joey heard meowing and decided to attempt a rescue.

Apparently, Joey had lowered himself into the well by tying a rope around the bumper of his truck. As mentioned, things didn’t go as planned, and Joey ended up falling fully down the well, all 50 feet of it.

“The cat was missing for seven days then my daughter could hear him hollering underneath the house and we knew there was a well under there,” Barbara Dover, Joey’s mom.

The Gaffney Fire Department, EMS and other volunteers had to rescue Joey from the well.  Two men went down to rescue him. He spent two hours down the well, and was rescued around 10 p.m..

Joey fell down this well under the house
Joey fell down this well under the house

Keep in mind the outdoor temperature was around 20 F. degrees. One day earlier Spartanburg County experienced the worst ice storm in perhaps 30 years. Yet Joey was determined to save Buttons.

Under this house was the well that Buttons fell down
Under this house was the well that Buttons fell down

Joey was rescued and taken to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and was released after the doctor’s decided he’d suffered no serious injuries. Joey’s mother told the local news media her son is “sore and resting.” This isn’t the first time one of their cats has ended up down a well.

The family reported several years ago a cat fell into the well. The cat was rescued by lowering down a bucket with food. That cat climbed in the bucket and was rescued. Our cat “Spot” spent two days down a well back in the 1980’s. He’d gone missing for two days and we finally heard him meowing from down the neighbors well. Another neighbor got a ladder and climbed down to rescue him.

Spot had an immediate vet visit, since he’d been standing in several inches of water. He had pneumonia and was put on medication. I hope Buttons had a vet visit to make sure there were no serious issues to deal with.

Joey, in my eyes you’re a hero. Even if things didn’t go quite the way you planned. Readers, would you risk your life to save a cat? Have you ever done anything totally off-the-wall for the sake of your feline companion? Please leave a comment.

Elisa

Sources: (a) wyff4.com (b) foxcarolina.com

83 thoughts on “How far would you go to save your cat?”

  1. The author of the best comment will receive an Amazon gift of their choice at Christmas! Please comment as they can add to the article and pass on your valuable experience.
  2. LOL you are a crazy bunch of cat protectors, almost as crazy as the poor bloke who fell down the well, (ding dong dell pussy and Joey in the well)so glad he and Buttons lived to tell the tale, he is the sort of man I could swoon over. I’m looking forward to Ruth’s poster of the derring-do of all the POCers and most impressed by the bravery. Elisa your pic is a good one except the vino, Ruth looks like a lush LOL whereas in fact she never touches a drop of wine as she doesn’t like it.

    Reply
  3. Right come on everyone, who else wants to feature in the PoC Protectors of Cats poster? Share your brave (or crazy) deeds lol
    So far I have:
    Dee up a trees, on a roof and stopping traffic for a turtle.
    Dorothy chasing coyotes, racoons and skunks away from her cats.
    Babz on a pub roof TNR feral kittens.
    Me down a well.

    Reply
  4. You know what I just discovered? [as the Stinky Little Kitten Who Has Not Yet Been NEUTERED] lays against my chest…] No? So I will let you in on my little secret, and it WON’T cost you a cent…

    Cats(kittens) *like* lying against your breast! You can move, re-situate, cough, zneeze, and little dear will stay there, because, simply put, he/she wants to know that you are ALIVE! and protecting her/him. I love that about my cats. They just want to get as close as they can, when they know their eyes are about to close and it’s dark outside.
    Comments, please. 🙂 ?

    Reply
    • So true. Marvin wants to keep track of where you are at all times. Lap, lying on the chest, across the legs….then he can rest knowing you are there. But in his case, I think he assumes HE is the protector.

      Reply
      • DW, how do you get out of a situation where you are compromised? I mean, with your cat? When he is putting all of his weight on you, relaxed. Do you have guilt, which in turn, causes you to bond een more closely with him? And then, evetually, you do not *dare* move from the position, because you are afraid of making it worse, where he doesn’t trust you as much as he did?

        Reply
        • Nah…I did that in the beginning, but I wanted him to know this is his home. It has taken him a long time to get used to ‘in the house’ sounds. I’d like him to get comfy enough that he will nap inside without thinking he has to participate in every little thing that is going on. For a wild cat, he is doing great. Today he napped while I painted. I was very quiet. He snored!

          When he is on my lap or chest, I cannot be there as long as he can, so I get up when we have had ample time to bond. He is fine with it. But yes, it took me a while to get there. We are doing well, given this is his first home ever.

          I am not worried about trust issues. He trusts me. I don’t trust the out of doors as much as he does. It will be a compromise our whole life together. And that is okay. He knows how to survive t there. I just have to learn to trust that a little more. But we are doing well. I actually love his life of a wild boy. And, I love how he turns into a love bug when he is home.

          Reply
  5. Joey, we love you. Our pets are family- and that love transcends all. I myself have done dangerous, even maybe illegal things to rescue animals I have come across in need, since.. if we turn the other way, what good is the life we were given if not to help them live the ones they were given? Hooah Joey, and big hugs to you and Buttons.. and all animals that cross your path in what will hopefully be the rest of your very long and happy life!

    Reply
  6. OK that link for Facebook may not work. Just type in Elisa Black-Taylor, Writer and Photographer and it should come up on Facebook 🙂

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