A tiny tuxie kitten who was clinging by his claws to his 9th and final life was rescued from a frigid Long Island storm drain this week.

A passerby heard his faint mews and investigated, locating him beneath a drainage grate in a parking lot. She called the Humane Society, and was lucky enough to talk to a volunteer who happened to be the wife of Oceanside Fire Chief Tim Biscay. The Biscays raced to the scene as the chief called his ladder company for assistance.

“We have a lot of tools, and deep down, most of the guys here are real animal lovers,” said Biscay, who has performed several cat rescues.

The firefighters tried to coax the shivering tuxie from its perch inside a pipe but he was too frightened to move. Then they “spooked” it with a fire extinguisher and the kitten leaped into the arms of firefighter Matt Martin.

“The poor little thing was pale and shaking — he was probably hypothermic,” said Biscay.

The kitten was taken to the Hilton Animal Hospital. “He was definitely hypothermic,” said Dr. Jeffrey Strom. “But he’s eaten and is in a warming cage, and he seems to be brightening up.” The kitten, nicknamed “Storm” spent the night in the warming cage. The next morning he was admitted to the Long Beach Humane Society for adoption.

He didn’t have to wait long. Two hours later, he was adopted by the mother-in-law of the original good Samaritan who alerted authorities to his predicament. How’s that for a happy ending?

[LINK: New York Post]