Help Pipey live a better life!

Hello everyone! A few weeks ago, some friends and I were coming out from a certain condominium to eat dinner. Passing by the parking lot, we were curious to see a group of people standing over a corner. We then heard several meows, a desperate cry for help, coming from that corner. Concerned, we approached it and found that they were looking over a very small and steep hole; a drainage. A pipe. Deep inside it was a round face with fearful eyes. It was a cute, but desperate and exhausted face of a tiny kitten. Immediately, I went to action and tried rescuing it by putting my hand in as far as it could go, but the hole was too small and he was stuck way too deep. I asked a couple of people to run for help, to call the security or the management and guess what? They simply told us to leave it be; to leave him there to die. We were not gonna let that happen. The case was hopeless, there was absolutely no way to get him out from the hole itself.. but when I saw his face down there, losing consciousness, I begged him to stay awake and whispered "Don't worry. I'll get you out, I promise." There was no way I was going to break that promise. After almost 2 hours of combined efforts and determination, we managed to rescue Pipey by means we cannot specify publicly. After we rescued him from the pipes (hence, pipey), this sweet angel came out cold, scared and traumatised. We immediately gave him food and brought him up to a friend's place to give him a warm bath. There I stayed with him in the bathroom (lying on the bathroom floor) for a couple of hours, accompanying him and letting him know he is now safe. He only stopped wailing when I carried him in my arms. I then carried him out the bathroom and lay down on my friend's bed where he eventually fell asleep on my shoulder. [Photos and videos of his rescue available on his Instagram page]

The hardest part was over. He was alive and safe. However, my friends and I are all college students. Most of us either stayed in dorms and others were either allergic or inexperienced of taking care of cats. I couldn't leave him be after all of that. I couldn't stand to leave him alone. I then figured that I could let him stay with me for a night or two then give him up for adoption; to be in a better home. The first night was challenging. He stayed up all night, wailing; probably looking for his mother. He hid under the sofa until he fell asleep. However, I couldn't. I was terrified that I would just wake up and he would be gone. So I lay on the floor, next to the sofa with my eyes on him the entire night. The next few days were better. He started going out from under the sofa and started getting very attached to me. And yes, I said the next few days because I started having second thoughts about giving him up to an adoption centre. I noticed that Pipey is easily scared, especially in a new environment. He attached himself to me very quickly and he had just adjusted in my place; I didn’t want him to get another environmental shock as he is too young. So then, I made the decision of keeping him. My dorm has a very strict policy of having pets. I know it's risky. I know it's going to be hard, but after that traumatic experience, he needs to be cared for and loved. Rescuing Pipey was the most rewarding experience for us all.

Pipey turned out to be such a sweet and energetic kitten andhe has melted all of our hearts. The challenge now is raising him. Truth be told, I am not yet financially ready to provide him the life he deserves, but I really want to. He has been separated from his mom at an early age and he needs all the attention and care now more than ever. I have not brought him to a vet to check him up. I have also split my own allowance to get him some food everyday, skipping some of my own meals in the process. Now Pipey is staying with me in my dorm. I sneaked him in because of the no-pets policy and made him a makeshift home with some boxes I found.

Currently, he is doing okay. He plays a lot and sleeps a lot. He gets very hyper sometimes and when it is time to sleep, he crawls up onto my chest and snuggles on my shoulder. However, there are still times when you can clearly see the impact of that traumatic experience. He gets paranoid and easily gets scared. I am also worried that he may have suffered injuries from the process of rescuing him. For a kitten his age, losing his mother deprives him of the nutrients he should receive. I want to be able to give him all the medical care and attention he needs, as much as I wish my love was enough, it isn't. I need your support in order to be able to provide for him. I am reaching out to your hearts to help me raise this beautiful angel and give him the best possible life. It is a huge responsibility but I'd rather do the hard work if it means making sure he is treated well and could enjoy his years the best way he possibly can. Any amount would help us a lot. Thanks for hearing out our story!