What started as a routine call for the RSPCA became a heroic, five-hour rescue featuring one trapped and traumatized cat, an emotional family reunion, and a very long poking device.

It was Mother’s Day in the UK (March 15) when RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer (ARO) Sarah Whatton was called to a home in Portsmouth, where a concerned citizen had spotted a cat in the narrow, 4-inch gap between two brick buildings. According to Sarah, the cat had reportedly been last seen at around 3 am, so it had been stuck for some time. But despite this, from what they could assess, he appeared bright and alert.

Homeowner Catherine Edwards was alerted to the situation by movement outside.

“I was in bed but could see my neighbour in my garden peering down the side of the houses, so I went out to see what was going on,” she said. “The cat had been straying in the area for some time and regularly visited our garden; our neighbour was feeding him. He was so far in, and the gap was so tiny, there was no way I could reach him, so I called the RSPCA for help.”

It didn’t take long for Sarah to realize that this was not going to be a simple retrieval.

“The cat was stuck about 1.5 m (4.9 ft) in, so I couldn’t reach him. I tried to tape my grasper to my extending reach-and-rescue pole and finally got hold of him, but there was no give at all; he was completely wedged in. I was really concerned about causing him serious injury if I tried to pull him out.”

Sarah called for back-up from fellow ARO Morgan Ellison and put in a call to the Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service to assist.

Morgan said, “We tried for hours to free the cat; we tried prising sticks underneath him to support his weight while pulling with the grasper, but due to the rubble underneath, we couldn’t get enough purchase.

“Firefighters devised a pulley system to try to get a rope around his chest, but there wasn’t space around him to get it over his hips.”

Eventually, the fire teams had to leave for other calls, but Sarah and Morgan refused to give up. They considered drilling into the gap from inside one of the buildings, but by this stage, they were concerned about the stress levels of the precarious cat.

“After about five hours of trying and as the light was disappearing, we sought advice from our colleagues who specialize in remote sedation and contacted a local vet to come and sedate the cat so we could try to pull him out more firmly, without risking him panicking and struggling.

“Between us, we rigged together a makeshift ‘jab stick’ so we were able to safely administer the injection into the tiny gap where the cat was wedged. The vet told us once the sedation took effect, we had one minute to free him before there was a serious risk of breathing difficulties, so we were really up against the clock. We were concerned about injuring him, but we’d run out of other options.

“It took all three of us to pull him out, and by some absolute miracle, he came out unharmed.”

And that’s when this already emotional story took on a whole new level of drama. When Sarah and Morgan scanned the cat for a microchip, they were astounded to learn that he had been reported missing in 2022. The pair got to work tracking down his owners, and were able to deliver an unforgettable Mother’s Day gift to owner Mandy Davis, on a day that also happened to be the father’s birthday too!

In a job that is often filled with ups and downs, this is one story Sarah will never forget.

“They were shocked and delighted to have their cat, Alfie, back after all this time. I spoke to Alfie’s owners the next day to learn that he is settling back in at home very well and has been enjoying chin rubs and purring loudly.

“I’d really like to thank everyone who assisted on this rescue. It’s a great reminder of what we can achieve together for animal welfare. Finding a vet to come out on a Sunday afternoon is not easy, but Rob Lowe from the Lighthouse 24-hour A&E Pet Hospital was absolutely incredible and didn’t hesitate to attend.

“It really was a team effort, and the homeowner kept us all going through the cold and rain with tea and biscuits! It was such a crazy rescue, but it had such a lovely ending—and it just shows how important it is to have your pets microchipped.”

It was an emotional reunion for Alfie and his family in the garage of Catherine’s home, where Mandy told the story of Alfie’s disappearance:

“Alfie went missing in July 2022; it was the week after we moved house. We weren’t letting him out, but he managed to squeeze through a tiny gap in a window that had been left slightly ajar, and that was it; he was gone.

“I couldn’t quite believe it when the RSPCA called to tell me they had him, and he’d been found just two roads away from our house! It still feels like a bit of a blur; I honestly didn’t think I’d ever see him again.”

The 10-year-old wayward feline has since been given a clean bill of health by the vet, as well as had some severely matted fur removed. Alfie has settled back into his home and reunited with his long-lost canine sister, Amber, and is getting used to his new feline family members, Gus and Luna.

Mandy added, “We’re all over-the-moon to have him home. He spends most of his time curled up on my daughter, Elizabeth’s, bed. It’s like he never left!”

This emotional story is a perfect example of the importance of microchipping and keeping your contact details up to date. What an amazing effort by Sarah and Morgan from the RSPCA. Let’s hope that Alfie decides to stay home in the future!

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