Cat-erwalling! Fire crews rescue feline from prison of masonry

The RSPCA is trying to trace the owner of a cat who was rescued after he became wedged between two walls at a South London property.

The fortunate feline has lived to tell another tale after a resident in Horseshoe Mews, Acre Lane, Brixton, was alerted by the sound of constant miaowing and located where the cat had become stuck between the external wall and an inner wall of a neighbouring property.

She called the London Fire Brigade (LFB) whose officers used cutting equipment to break through solid masonry to reach the black male cat who was passed into the arms of RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Yalina Blumer on Monday, September 9.

The cat had spent around 10 hours trapped amid bricks and dust and was very unsteady on his feet before the RSPCA took him for a veterinary check-up and onto RSPCA Finsbury Park Hospital for treatment, where he is now making a good recovery.

He has been named Flint because of his stony entrapment and he has not been microchipped, so the RSPCA would like to find his owner as it appears he has been well cared for previously.

The animal rescue officer recalled: “The resident who called London Fire Brigade thought the cat might be stuck inside a cavity wall, but then realised he’d squeezed into a five inch gap between the walls and there seemed little hope of getting him out.

“The poor thing was wedged in there for around 10 hours before the fire officers arrived, but they were able to remove some of the bricks and created two large holes in the outer wall so they could reach the cat.

“He was dehydrated and couldn’t stand on his legs at the time, so I took him to a local vet and he’s now receiving excellent care at RSPCA Finsbury Park Hospital.”

Chrissy Ellis at Finsbury Park Hospital said: “Flint is doing really well after his ordeal and the vet is happy with his progress since he has been on pain relief. 

“Fortunately, there are no issues with his limbs. He’s a sweet, timid boy who loves a head stroke and lots of TLC.”

The RSPCA is incredibly grateful for the efforts of the LFB officers who came to the aid of this stricken cat. The charity works closely with the emergency services and does often request the help of the fire and rescue service to rescue animals trapped in hard-to-reach locations.

Some fire crews also use animal rescues for training, although emergencies involving people always take priority.

Anyone with any information about Flint or his owners is asked to ring the RSPCA appeals line number on 0300 123 8018.