Cat feared dead after Kentucky tornado is found alive in rubble nine days later

Owner Sonny ‘Hoot’ Gibson says he had given up hope of finding his office cat

In this photo provided by Sonny ‘Hoot’ Gibson shows Madix the cat, who was found in the rubble of Gibson’s Mayfield office after nine days in the rubble (AP)

A cat that was thought to have been killed in Kentucky’s deadly tornado earlier this month was found alive on Sunday.

The cat named Madix belonged to Sonny “Hoot” Gibson, a rental business owner in Mayfield Kentucky.

On the intervening night of 10 and 11 December, thirty-seven tornadoes were reported in six states from Friday night into Saturday morning. At least 14 people confirmed dead across Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri.

Kentucky was the worst hit with at least 74 people dead and over a hundred injured.

Mr Gibson said that he was at home when the worst tornado in Kentucky’s history struck Mayfield and could not make his way to his office where his office cat was, reported WTVF.

With his office destroyed, Mr Gibson tried looking for the cat but gave up after two or three days.

He said that he had given up hope that his cat would be alive after the tornadoes that left behind mass destruction across Kentucky and particularly in Mayfield.

“I don’t know how anything could’ve survived not just the tornado but the destruction that came along with it,” he said to Associated Press.

On Sunday afternoon, Mr Gibson was standing in the rubble of his former office when he said he heard a faint noise.

“I thought I heard a meow, and I thought my mind’s playing tricks on me so I hollered his name out, and he meowed again,” he said.

Mr Gibson called a few employees and together they looked through the rubble to locate the noise and eventually found Madix. The cat was stuck in a hole beneath the rubble.

While the cat was found to be thirsty and hungry, being under the rubble for nine days, Mr Gibson said that he had not suffered any injuries.

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

The cat’s survival story has become popular in Mayfield, a community struggling to get back on its feet after the devastation of the tornado.

“It’s a blessing for people to hear the story so they can take that and realize that great things can come out of terrible situations. If it’s uplifting to one person, then Madix has served his purpose on this planet,” Mr Gibson said.