Six days after a 6.2-magnitude quake razed a central Italian town, killing hundreds of people, a tiny cat has been found alive in the rubble.
The fortunate feline, named “Gioia,” which means “Joy” in Italian, was found severely dehydrated but with at least one of her nine lives intact, Italy’s The Local reported.
Firefighters digging beneath masonry, floorboards and metal in the town of Amatrice uncovered the cat Monday, The Telegraph reported.
Video taken later showed the animal eagerly lapping up water as firefighters at the scene poured it from a bottle.
The cat’s rescue proved to be a miracle for Gioia’s owner, Daniela Tursini, who had stayed glued to her home’s rubble hoping that Gioia would be found.
“I beg you, find my cat, she’s all I have left,” she had implored firefighters, according to The Telegraph. “My house [is] gone, I’ve lost everything.”
Gioia’s endearing rescue is just the latest animal story to emerge from last Wednesday’s tragedy.
Over the weekend, a cocker spaniel was filmed refusing to leave the side of his late owner’s coffin during a state funeral for 35 earthquake victims, The Independent reported.
Another video showed rescuers pulling a dog from the rubble.