A Connecticut family got the surprise of a lifetime when their cat uncovered a forgotten Powerball ticket worth $150,000.
Some stories seem too strange to be true, and this is one of them. They begin with a bit of bad luck, go in a completely unexpected direction, and end with something almost magical. That’s exactly what happened to one Connecticut family after their cat uncovered a Powerball ticket they thought had vanished for good. A ticket that would change their lives and their fortune forever.
It all started on Friday, June 13th. Somers resident and bus driver Russell Ruff bought a Powerball ticket at Small Town LLC on Main Street, just for fun. Friday the 13th might make some people superstitious, but he figured it couldn’t hurt to test his luck.
The next day came and went, and the drawing didn’t seem like a big deal. The ticket ended up misplaced somewhere at home. “We lost the ticket at home. It went behind a headboard, and we didn’t think too much of it… We didn’t really check the numbers,” Russell remembered.
Days turned into weeks. Life got busy, and the ticket was out of sight and mind, assumed to never be seen again. Or so they thought.
Then came the unexpected hero of the story, a 16-year-old cat with a talent for squeezing into small spaces. One day, the cat managed to slip behind the bed. Now, in an attempt to rescue the stuck cat, Russell and his sons had to move furniture to get it out.
This is where the first twist in the story comes in. Behind the headboard, along with their playful cat, was the missing Powerball ticket.
Russell decided to scan the ticket using the CT Lottery app, just to be sure it wasn’t another dud. What he saw made him stop in his tracks. Then he scanned it again. And again. Twist number two, incoming.
The ticket was a winner worth $150,000. It had matched four of the five winning numbers plus the Powerball. Because he had added Power Play, his prize tripled from $50,000 to $150,000.
“It was a miracle,” said Russell, in awe of his unexpected winnings.
He had bought the ticket on Friday the 13th for a laugh and ended up just one number shy of the jackpot.
Russell said he’s been playing Powerball for years, but this win was something entirely different. His cat’s playtime turned another ordinary day into a story the family will tell for the rest of their lives.
Friday the 13th superstition and a bit of feline-purrrfect curiosity made the experience unforgettable. The family’s quick thinking and a few scans for confirmation sealed the deal. Russell’s win is a reminder that fortune sometimes hides in the most unexpected places. And it also demonstrates how everyone in the family, including the cat, can play a role in the fun.
The Ruffs’ 16-year-old cat probably doesn’t know it, but it played a starring role in one of the most surprising Powerball stories of the year. What began as a missing ticket turned into a $150,000 payday. It’s easy to see why Russell described the moment as miraculous. And even if you’re not a “cat person,” you can appreciate this story.
Congratulations to Russell, his family, and their curious cat for an unforgettable Powerball experience. This Powerball winner story reminds all players that sometimes, the fun and adventure is the story behind you finding yourself a winner. And it’s stories like these that inspire everyday players to try their luck at picking those winning numbers.