Man Smashes Wall Open With Hammer to Rescue Cat Trapped Over Thanksgiving

Before you leave your house on a trip, you check the doors are locked, windows are closed, the oven is off, plants are watered and pets have enough food and water.

But one pet owner didn't anticipate having to cat-proof their home from their inquisitive feline, Ronnie, who somehow managed to get into the walls while they were away for Thanksgiving.

Causalinf, who describes themselves as an economist professor, shared a clip to their TikTok page, chronicling their cat's mischievous behavior.

"Came back from Thanksgiving but couldn't find our cat, Ronnie. We heard her in the walls," they captioned the video, which can be seen here.

The clip starts by showing a man brandishing a hammer, and making holes in the wall, as he swings into the plasterboard with dust and debris flying everywhere.

A woman is filming the process and doling out instructions—"go up," "let me look"—while the pair repeatedly call out the cat's name.

The camerawoman sticks the phone inside the small hole already made, revealing wooden batons and what looks like insulation.

In ever-higher tones they call for the cat, as the woman instructs everyone to "shush," as they attempt to locate the kitty via sound.

The woman also double-checks the lower level of the house, in case Ronnie has mysteriously reappeared via whichever method they managed to clamber inside the walls.

To no avail, the hammering continues as the woman declares "she's in this area."

The man puts the tool down and shines his phone light inside the gap, while there's debate over whether the hole should be made big enough for one of them to climb in.

"No, she can crawl out now," the man says, while calling out: "Ronnie, baby, sweetie come here."

Finally the cat appears as the room erupts with sounds of relief, as the man says "come here, get out."

In the clip the black cat's eyes reflect the torch in the darkness, as Ronnie sticks her head through the hole, before jumping gracefully through and dashing off.

Since being shared on Monday, the rescue effort had been seen more than a million times, with people desperate to know how the cat got inside the walls in the first place.

In the comment section, Causalinf revealed: "Ronnie got into the wall through an open closet that was partially open to [an] unfinished area. She is very curious so wandered til she got trapped or lost."

Their dedication, and willingness, to smash a hole in their wall was met with admiration online.

Topher Booth wrote: "That man was ready to bring down his entire home if needed to get Ronnie haha. I have a cat, I understand."

Chloe Miller joked: "When you love your cat more than your walls on your house."

"Omg I was thinking that Ronnie was going to come walking up the stairs while you guys were tearing up the wall. Glad kitty is safe," Sakksledge wrote.

Alice added: "Reasons to buy my own home. 1. Can smash into the walls at will in order to get my cat out."

While it's not clear exactly how big the opening was that Ronnie initially entered the walls through, website Vetstreet explained why felines can fit into tight spaces.

They said: "Cats are able to squeeze through spaces that seem narrower than they are because cats don't have a rigid collarbone to block their way through nooks and crannies.

"Once they can get their head and shoulders through, their sleek bodies present no further obstacle."

Newsweek reached out to Causalinf for comment.