Odd-Looking Kitten Found Alone In A Trailer Park Arrives At Indiana Shelter Hoping For Love
At the Dekalb Humane Society in Auburn, Indiana, the staff is no stranger to all sorts of animal stories – some uplifting, others heartbreaking, and a few downright strange.
But nothing could have prepared them for the scruffy little character that recently came into their care.
He wasn’t graceful, he wasn’t fluffy, and honestly, he looked more like something from a cartoon. Yet somehow, he was exactly what he needed to be.
This is the tale of Sewer Rat, a tiny, wild-haired kitten found all alone in a trailer park, who somehow managed to win the hearts of everyone he met.
There was no mom or siblings in sight and no clue what was going on. The team at DHS took him up right away.
He looked like he’d just wrestled and lost. He was filthy, patchy, and clearly not feeling great, as the shelter shared in a Facebook post:
“This is Sewer Rat. He’s a kitten. Allegedly. He currently looks like he crawled out of a haunted crawlspace.”
Despite his scruffy appearance, there was something undeniably endearing about him.
Once they brought him inside and gave him a thorough checkup, the mystery behind his unique look began to unravel…
Poor Sewer Rat was fighting off a major skin infection – ringworm, and not the mild kind either.
His fur was growing in strange places and his skin was so irritated, as the shelter shared in an interview:
“He came in with one of the worst cases of ringworm we’ve seen in a long time: a severe, contagious fungal infection that affects the skin and fur.”
But through all of it? He never hissed. Never swatted. He just kept purring. It turns out, this little dude was as sweet as a cinnamon roll.
At just about 7 weeks old, most kittens might be shy or nervous. But not him.
Everyone who meets him gets the same impression: this little guy is something else. A bit scrappy, a bit rough around the edges, but overflowing with love.
Sure, he looks more like a gremlin than a kitten right now. His fur’s patchy, and he has that “freshly emerged from a sewer pipe” look about him.
But it’s working for him. He’s got personality, charm, and an odd little spark that makes everyone smile. No wonder the whole staff fell for him almost immediately.
Now, Sewer Rat is settling in with a foster family, getting comfortable and continuing his recovery as he receives the care he needs.
He still requires some time, as ringworm takes patience to treat, and he’ll need a safe space to keep from accidentally spreading his little fungal issue. But his spirit? That’s already shining brightly.
Sewer Rat might not be a typical picture-perfect kitten, but that’s what makes him so special. He’s got grit, heart, and the sweetness that sticks with you. The DHS shared:
“We know Sewer Rat isn’t everyone’s type. He’s patchy. He’s fungal… But he’s also healing, sweet, playful, and so much closer to being okay.”
The Dekalb Humane Society is confident that Sewer Rat’s forever home is out there – someone with a big heart, a spare room, and perhaps a soft spot for the underdogs… or undercats.
In the meantime, his story is spreading far and wide, reminding everyone just how lovable pets with medical challenges can be.
Every animal deserves a chance at happiness, even those with scruffy ears and untamed fur.
Sewer Rat might look like a bit of a mess, but he’s healing quickly. And beneath all that patchy fur? He’s just a little kitten who craves love.
