9 Days After Tornadoes Tore Through Kentucky, A Beloved Cat Was Found In The Rubble

MAYFIELD, KY — As Sonny “Hoot” Gibson stood in the rubble of his demolished three-story office building in downtown Mayfield, nine days after a deadly tornado decimated parts of the city, he thought he heard a faint meow.

It wasn't possible, he thought. Still, Gibson wondered.

Gibson's office cat, Madix, hadn't been seen by anyone since the EF4 tornado tore through Mayfield on Dec. 10, Gibson told The Associated Press. He tried to find the black cat with yellow eyes who liked to greet customers of his rental business — but the search seemed hopeless and, after a few days, he gave up.

"I don't know how anything could’ve survived not just the tornado but the destruction that came along with it," he told the AP.

And then he heard the meow. He thought his mind was playing tricks on him.

"So I hollered his name out, and he meowed again,” Gibson said.

Gibson rallied friends and community members on Facebook and together, he and two employees sifted through the rubble to find Madix, WTVF reported. That cat was eventually spotted in a pocket under the rubble, scared and shaking.

"It was just an incredible feeling to put him in my arms," Gibson said. "If cats actually have nine lives, he probably used up about eight of them in that nine-day period."

Other than being very hungry and thirsty, Madix was unhurt. Gibson took Madix home, where he will live out the rest of his days as a house cat.

The Dec. 10 tornado outbreak affected multiple states including Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi and Tennessee. At least 92 people were confirmed dead after more than 40 tornadoes pummeled the area, according to the AP report.

The Associated Press contributed reporting to this story.