Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano said the body of Deborah Hill, 48, was discovered by her husband just before 2 p.m. Sunday, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported Monday.

Solano said the couple had taken the 55-gallon plastic rain barrel inside their home to thaw ice inside it. The barrel was about one-third full once the ice had melted and the family's kitten is believed to have fallen in.

"It looks like she was standing on something to reach down for the kitten and slid in herself," Solano told the New Mexican.

The sheriff said no signs of foul play have been found by investigators.

"There's pretty significant evidence for the cat theory," he said. "There's scratches in the barrel and there's scratches on the body."

He said the barrel had been tied to the door to prevent it from tipping over.

"That means once she fell in, she wasn't able to tip it herself," he said to the newspaper.