Exhausted cat rescued from Port River by kind-hearted kayaking couple

May 14, 2018

Lucky is one very fortunate cat. Somehow, this adventurous moggie got himself trapped in the most unlikely of places last month – atop a tyre hanging metres between an old ship wreck and Adelaide’s Port River.

Who knows how long Lucky sat there stranded there without food, shade or water. But thankfully, help was on its way, in the form of two kayakers moseying about looking for jellyfish.

‘He was soaking wet and stinking’

“We were kayaking when my wife spotted the cat halfway up the Clipper Ship’s dry dock, kind of huddling behind the thick marine rope,” says Aivars, who came to Lucky’s rescue on Sunday, April 29.

“His head was dry but the rest of him was soaking wet and stinking. He had all kinds of gunk coming out of his eyes and was bleeding from one of his teeth. He seemed way too skinny and emaciated to climb up the rope.”

Paddling over to the friendly cat, wife Sarah held onto Aivars’ kayak, steadying it as he stood up to rescue poor Lucky.

“He instantly started purring,” Aivars recalls.

Towing Lucky to safety and shelter

Unable to paddle with just one hand, the couple then tied their kayaks together and Sarah towed Aivars and happy Lucky back to the safety of shore.

“We loaded up our kayaks and drove straight to RSPCA. I held onto the cat in the back seat and he just fell asleep in my arms. He was really exhausted and out of it,” Aivars says.

Lots of love and care for Lucky at RSPCA

Back at RSPCA South Australia’s Lonsdale shelter, veterinarians found 3-year-old Lucky skinny and suffering mild dental disease, but otherwise unharmed after his ordeal.

The malnourished moggie spent a week under careful observation, eating loads as he slowly regained his strength so he could be desexed and microchipped, ready for adoption.

A loving new home for adventurous Lucky

In the most perfect of happy endings, Lucky’s rescuers decided they simply had to give this plucky cat the loving forever home he deserves.

A week after rescuing Lucky from the Port River, Aivars and Sarah welcomed this brave puss into their family, where he instantly made friends with their “grumpy princess” tabby cat.

“If he had nine lives, my joke is that he’s only got half left!” Aivars says.

Sarah and Aivars with Lucky the cat. Photo courtesy of The Advertiser.

If you’re considering opening your heart and home to a rescued animal, head over here to see all our animals currently available for adoption.

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10 thoughts on “Exhausted cat rescued from Port River by kind-hearted kayaking couple”

  1. Sophia

    Aww what a loving couple. I’m glad they found it

  2. Bethany

    They are so kind and lucky is a great name for the cat lucky ???? ????

  3. Adrian

    very sad

  4. freg

    lucky cat ???? so lucky ????

  5. Bernadette Gardiner

    awwwww!!! Lucky Lucky! Haha nice name but happy ENDING!

  6. rose murphy

    so cute i love it….

  7. rose murphy

    so cute i love it….:3

  8. Isabel

    So sweet!

  9. michael jackson

    bruh okay

  10. Jelly

    That cat is cute and I want it

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