Truck driver's day takes an unexpected turn with feline rescue

When one’s car simply gives out during work, it usually isn’t followed by meowing and a rescue mission. But that is exactly how Brian Borys’ rainy Tuesday morning began earlier this week.

Borys, who works as a driver in the town of Didsbury, had just begun his route and had already picked up trash from several houses when his trip was cut short when the car simply refused to start up.

“I went out of the truck to check a fuse and that’s when I heard meowing and I thought where is that coming from? I looked around and I said is there a creature in the back?”

Borys’ truck did eventually start up again along with the meowing, but because the hydraulics weren’t working he decided he would drive back to the shop and see if he couldn’t figure out the problem there. Once he did park his car in the shop, the meowing became even more intense.

“I started looking in different spots of the truck and I actually found out where he was. He was trapped by the copper cylinder in between the metal roof, where a hydraulic hose was,” he said. “He had just enough room that he was able to actually breathe.”

The source of the meowing was none other than a kitten that had managed to crawl into the truck. Considering where he was, Borys said it was sheer luck that the kitten was unharmed. Borys remarked that it also seemed to be pure luck that his truck stopped working at the moment that it had.

A kitten who is estimated to be 3-4 months old ended up needing to be rescued after it was stuck in a garbage truck. (Photo provided by Brian Borys)

“At the moment that the packer was moving, he got stuck and then at the very second that it was gonna be coming back and might do more damage, it stops and he was just in a place where he was okay for the time being. It was just uncanny.”

Borys chose to nickname the kitten Lucky – which seems more than fitting considering the circumstances the kitten found himself in. In order to get Lucky out of the truck, Borys would have to disassemble some parts. After quite a bit of handiwork, the kitten was able to wriggle out unharmed.

“I tried to calm him down and let him know that he wasn’t in any danger. In the shop, we have a bathroom, so it was the only place that I could put him,” he said. “I gave him some water and some meat from a sandwich that I had for lunch.”

Although Borys did contemplate bringing Lucky home, he also knew that his older two male cats may not be thrilled with the new addition, especially since the kitten is truly a baby – he estimates Lucky is 6-8 weeks old. He did however assume that he would check in on the kitten in between his shifts and after work. That’s when Borys spotted a peace officer’s vehicle.

Peace Officer, Melissa Trotter, who originally hails from Airdrie, but works in Didsbury, was conducting a patrol in the town when she saw that Borys was trying to get her attention. Though Trotter wasn’t surprised that the kitten had managed to wiggle into the disposal truck, she did say Borys was quite worried about the kitten.

“He was in a full-blown panic and he was terrified that this kitten wasn’t going to be okay,” Trotter said. “But he was just happy he was able to get him out of his truck. The kitten is a black and white tuxedo kitten. However, during the time, you wouldn’t know that there was white on him.”

When Trotter came back with Borys to the shop, the kitten was more than fine and very vocal and even more friendly. She took Lucky to a local kennel, Mountain View Pet Resort, which would look after him for the time being.

“I cleaned his eyes out and at the kennel, one of the employees stated that they would give him a warm bath to clean off the oil and all that stuff off of him.”

Though Borys doesn’t consider himself an animal person, he did say that cats are his favourite kind of person. Although the kitten rescue happened on Tuesday, he suspects the kitten could have crawled into the truck a few days ago. However, this isn’t the first time he has rescued a small feline. About a year-and-a-half ago, another kitten had managed to clamour up on top of one of the trucks. The female kitten (Roo) has been adopted and is doing just fine.