ROTO ROOTER RESCUES ANIMALS

A NEW MEANING FOR 'SNAKING A DRAIN'

From time to time, a homeowner may have an surprise guest inside their homes.

However, the issue may not always be as easy as using a sheet of paper to send a spider back out into the world. In fact, you may find a few animals roaming around in your plumbing. This is because they have a number of access points, including a home's vent stack and main drain. Some craftier creatures can make a route even if one isn't easily available.

Certain animals seek a warm place to nest, while others hunt for food. Most plumbing and the associated vents have barriers like mesh to keep intruders out without restricting water flow. Yet with enough initiative or older plumbing, it's not hard for a number of creatures to get inside the pipes.

Here's a look at a few of the critters that may try to call your plumbing home:

SNAKES

Occurrences of snakes in pipes - particularly the toilet - often fall to the realm of myth. Despite the many who see this happening as nothing more than an urban legend, many plumbing professionals have at least one story of a snake taking a dip in a toilet bowl.

RATS

These rodents are possibly the most common culprit of home invasion by sea. Rats are drawn to the smells of food, which often travel outside via pipes leading from the kitchen sink. While rats are crafty, they can get lost in the plumbing and end up at any number of exits.

It's easy for rats to ascend via a toilet. These critters are good swimmers and have a ton of flexibility, which means they slip through toilet plumbing with ease.

FROGS

While not as frightening as a rat or a snake, few would like the idea of seeing a frog in the toilet during a late-night bathroom trip.

SQUIRRELS

Similar to rats, squirrels often enter plumbing through roof vents. They also have flexible bodies, so they can make their way into a home via a toilet.

CATS

Rooter's Story

On November 27, 2013, Roto-Rooter received a call asking for help in rescuing a kitten who had fallen into a sewer pipe on a rainy, cold night on Long Island, New York. Not long after, Roto-Rooter was on the scene. The rescuers first pushed sardines into the pipe to better nourish the hungry kitten.

After four hours of hard work, the experts at Roto-Rooter were able to safely recover the kitten from the drain. Not long after, the kitten, named ""Rooter"" was adopted by a Roto-Rooter employee.

Special thanks to Guardian Rescue, and the local Roto-Rooter team: Jaime Santiesteban (and family for adopting this cute kitten), Mike Fisher, and Mike Katulis.

Rescuing an Adult Cat

When a full-grown cat got lost inside an underground pipe, its owners turned to The Humane Society for help. But, The Humane Society didn't have the equipment or know-how to locate the cat or rescue it.

Fortunately, Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup has all sorts of sophisticated equipment that is well suited for exploring and inspecting underground pipes. The Humane Society urged the cat's owners call Roto-Rooter for help.

Roto-Rooter's Eugene, Oregon location sent two experienced sewer inspection technicians to the property to find the cat. Roto-Rooter used its sophisticated video camera snakes through the pipe's twists and turns until they finally caught the reflection the kitty's eyes in the distance.

This video shows how the Roto-Rooter team eventually rescued this big kitty and got him safely back to its owners.

MacGyver's Story

When local residents heard faint cries from an Ontario, Canada sewer, Roto-Rooter professionals were immediately called to the scene for another pet rescue. Curious kitten ""MacGyver"" crawled into a storm drain and was crying for help for two days until Animal Control called Roto-Rooter plumbers to flush him out to safety.

CALL ROTO-ROOTER TO SAFELY REMOVE ANIMALS FROM PIPES

If these or any other critters go for a swim in your plumbing, it may be time to call animal control and plumbing services to prevent future intrusions.

Even outside the home, if you're hearing kitty cries from a storm drain near you, Roto-Rooter drain specialists will come to the rescue.

If you are suffering from critter damage such as a cracked pipe or clog, contact your local Roto-Rooter professional for help.