Neighbor News
Kitten Saved by Glenview Fire Department
Feline in a Fix! Firefighters "Lube-a-Dub" a Kitten Stuck in a Tire Hub for rescue
GLENVIEW, IL –Move over, cat burglars. The hot new trend for felines in 2025 is "rim riding," and one tiny adventurer took it a step too far this week, requiring a team of local heroes to undo his purr-ocious mistake.
The saga began when two concerned residents performed a truly unusual roadside assistance. Instead of driving to Fire Station 8, they walked in carrying a single car wheel. The passenger? A very small, very stuck kitten, whose head was firmly wedged in the center of the tire rim.
The lucky (and now slightly famous) feline was part of a litter born to a stray cat in a nearby garage. While his siblings were likely napping or practicing their pouncing, this little explorer embarked on a mission to see if his head fit in a hole. Spoiler alert: it did, but then it didn't.
Answering the call of duty were Lt. Render and firefighter-paramedics Mike Keogh and Ross Chapman. The tools for this delicate rescue operation? Not the Jaws of Life, but something far gentler: a bottle of Dawn dish soap and some water.
"For about 20 minutes, it was a slippery situation," a station insider reported. "There was a lot of gentle maneuvering and suds. The kitten was a trooper, though he probably used up eight of his nine lives in one go."
The lubrication technique was a success! The tiny, soapy adventurer was carefully extracted, unharmed but decidedly damp. His rescuers noted that the residents had temporarily named the kitten "Yoda," a fitting moniker given his wise-looking, big-eared appearance once he was wet.
The story has a happy ending for the entire fur family. After being freed, Yoda was reunited with his very anxious mother. In a follow-up online post, one of the men who brought the kitten in shared the best news: Momma Cat, perhaps unimpressed with her kitten's automotive antics, has since moved all five of her babies to a new, wheel-free secret location.
The Glenview Fire Department, when asked for a comment, simply stated, "All in a day's work." They also gently reminded residents that while they are always happy to help, their services are best reserved for emergencies slightly larger than a kitten's miscalculation.
