Terrla Cruse reacts with joy to finding her family’s cat, Lavern, after the pet had been buried for 16 days in the rubble of her former home. (Courtesy photo)

CNHI News Service

JOPLIN, Mo. — If there's any truth to the old saying that cats have nine lives, the one belonging to Terra Cruse must have used up at least eight of them.

Cruse was walking with her sister, Suzi Hoskins, Tuesday past the rubble that remained of her former house.

She and her husband, J.E. Cruse, lived there with their daughters, 4-year-old Isabella and 2-month-old Lauren, and cat, 13-year-old Lavern, before the May 22 tornado struck.

As Cruse talked with her sister, they heard meowing. The Cruses had been back to look for Lavern several times, but had no luck finding her. They had come to accept that the feline probably had perished.

But the sisters dug through rubble one last time, thinking it probably was the neighbor’s cat and not Lavern.

After awhile, Lavern’s head emerged, then they removed more debris to free her completely.

After 16 days, Lavern was dehydrated and had lost weight. Cruse took her to the veterinarian, but the family pet is expected to make a full recovery.

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Details for this story were provided by The Joplin (Mo.) Globe.