WINNING POWERBALL TICKET IS LOST…FOUND WEEKS LATER BY THE CATWALLINGFORD, Conn. — July 7, 2025 — If a cat finds a winning lottery ticket purchased on Friday the 13th, is it superstition or fate?
If you ask Russell Ruff of Somers, the word he’d use is “miraculous”—after the family cat led them to a Powerball ticket they believed was lost.
“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,” recalled Russell.
He says the ticket was discovered when the cat somehow made its way behind a bed, prompting Russell and his sons to maneuver it in order to retrieve the feline. In the process, they found the cat—and the ticket.
After scanning (and rescanning, just to be sure) using the CT Lottery app, Russell learned the long-lost ticket was a winner worth $150,000.
“It was a miracle,” said Russell.
He had originally purchased the ticket on Friday, June 13, just for some superstitious fun. The Powerball drawing took place the next evening Russell’s ticket ended up matching four of the five winning numbers plus the Powerball. He was just one number away from the jackpot. Since he added Power Play, his prize increased from $50,000 to $150,000.
Russell is a school bus driver in Somers and a regular player of the CT Lottery. He purchased the ticket at Small Town LLC on Main St. in Somers.
Congratulations to Russell, his family, and their 16-year-old cat!
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Overall odds of Powerball are 1 in 24.9. Jackpot odds 1 in 292,201,338. Purchasers must be 18 or older. Help is available for problem gambling. Call (888) 789-7777 or visit
ccpg.org.###
About the Connecticut Lottery Corporation:The Connecticut Lottery Corporation (CLC) is a quasi-public state agency committed to generating revenue for Connecticut in accordance with the highest standards of public policy and social responsibility.
In fiscal year 2024 alone, players won more than $1 billion in prizes. At the same time, the Connecticut Lottery Corporation returned approximately $387 million to our state’s General Fund — providing critical dollars for essential services like education, public health, public safety, and libraries that strengthen communities across Connecticut.
Since 1972, the Lottery has contributed more than $11 billion to support our state’s programs and awarded more than $23 billion to lucky winners. That’s a track record of meaningful impact — both for the people who play and the people who benefit from the revenue it generates.
To learn more, visit any CT Lottery retailer, go to ctlottery.org,
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X (@ctlottery), or call (860) 713-2700. You can also download our apps
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Players must be 18 or older to purchase lottery tickets, and at least 21 to place sports wagers. For help with a gambling problem, call 888-789-7777 or visit
ccpg.org.
