How to Get Kittens Out of a Hole

When exploring their environment, young kittens can accidentally fall or crawl into small holes, such as drain pipes, and become trapped. If you hear the cries a kitten trapped in a hole around your home or in your walls, you need to rescue the it from this situation as soon as possible to prevent starvation or dehydration. You can usually lure the kitten to safety and reunite it with its siblings and the mother cat. Sometimes the situation will call for creative techniques or help from animal control or the fire department to free the trapped cat.

Things You'll Need

  • Canned kitten food
  • Chicken pieces
  • Canned tuna
  • Cat treats
  • Cat carrier
  • Vegetable oil
  • Petroleum jelly
  • Live cat trap
  • Dish
  • Cloth
  • Mackerel
  • Kitten milk replacement formula
  • Vacuum
  • Sock
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Instructions

    • 1

      Speak softly to a kitten in a hole and offer it some canned cat food or a piece of chicken or tuna. Place a small amount of canned cat food on your finger and let the kitten lick it off if you can reach it. Once the kitten takes the food and you gain its trust, reach in and gently pull the kitten out of the hole. If more than one kitten is trapped, continue the process until all of them are rescued.

    • 2

      Lubricate the kitten with vegetable oil if you have tried to pull it out of the hole and it appears stuck. Another option is to rub some petroleum jelly onto the kitten's body. Once you have lubricated the kitten, gently hold it around the belly and slowly pull it out of the hole.

    • 3

      Bait a live cat trap with pungent-smelling food such as tuna, mackerel or slightly warmed canned kitten food. Place the trap near the entrance to the hole. Check the trap every 30 minutes to see if the kitten will come out on its own.

    • 4

      Push a long piece of cloth into the hole if you cannot reach the kitten. Put a very small amount of canned cat food on the end of the cloth before you drop it in the hole to get the kitten's interest. Sometimes the kitten will be able to climb out of the hole using the cloth. Tie the cloth to something solid or hold onto one end to. Place a small dish of tuna, canned food or kitten milk replacement formula at the edge of the hole to tempt the kitten to climb onto the cloth to get to the food.

    • 5

      Place a sock over the hose of a vacuum cleaner and put it into the hole where the kitten is trapped. Turn the vacuum on to gently suck the kitten out of the hole.

    • 6

      Imitate the kitten's mews to try and lure it out of the hole. If possible, place its siblings or mother cat in a cat carrier and bring it near the hole. If the kitten can free itself, the sound of the other cat calling will lure it out of the hole.