RSPCA rescue cat stuck behind old tank in Cambridgeshire village for three days

A cat has been rescued by the RSPCA after a three-day ordeal trapped between an oil tank and a garden wall in Glatton.

A worried cat owner had been searching for her missing cat for three days before she heard her meowing from a neighbour's garden.

Buna, a white and black cat, became trapped after climbing through a tiny seven-inch gap between a garden wall and an oil tank.

RSPCA animal rescue officer, Naomi Sadoff, who rescued Buna said: “We received a call last Tuesday (March 14) from a member of the public who was very concerned that her cat had been trapped behind a neighbour’s oil tank for three days.

“Once I arrived at the scene I could see that the space was theoretically large enough for a cat to squeeze through - but this cat had certainly got herself into a bit of a tight spot.

“Buna was a lovely black and white cat and thankfully had no visible injuries but she appeared frightened and must have been very hungry.”

Naomi tried to reach Buna with a rescue pole and net, but she was easily spooked and ran out of reach under the tank.

“I also tried blocking access to the space under the tank, but each time Buna ran away too quickly for me to reach her,” she said.“Eventually after many failed attempts we decided to put food down but leave it just far enough away so she would have to wriggle out to get it. I agreed with Buna’s owner to leave the food overnight and to call me back in the morning if she still hadn’t come out. I was concerned we may have to call out the local fire and rescue service.”

Despite the allure of food, Buna still refused to push her way out from behind the oil tank, so Naomi was called back in.

“Buna was a very stubborn little cat! She did not want to come out. I could see there was some plaster we could pull away to allow more space for her to escape, but the landlord of the property wasn’t keen for us to do that. However, we were given permission to dig on the far side of the tank to try and create a larger gap for the cat to crawl through.

“I spent some time digging to create space for Buna, but she was having none of it - she firmly stayed put and continued to meow hopelessly at us. We were a bit up against the clock because Buna’s owners were about to go on holiday and they didn’t want to leave her like that. They thought they were going to have to cancel her trip to stay with her.”

Fortunately, however, as rescue attempts continued - Buna eventually took matters into her own paws.

Naomi continued: “After trying literally everything we could think of, we took a step back to rethink - and then Buna came sauntering out of her own accord, exactly the same way she had gone in to start with! I think she was just messing with us! She managed to squeeze out the way she came in with no trouble at all. Myself and her owner just looked on in disbelief!

“We are extremely glad she is safe and well, but what a palaver! I’ve spoken to the landlord of the property and told them they need to block access to the back and underneath of that oil tank. Buna is unfortunately not the first cat to have got stuck behind there, I’m told previous occupants have had the same issue.”

Often if a cat is stuck somewhere, they are usually able to get themselves back out again. Unless there are severe weather conditions, the cat appears injured or hurt, or the cat is in an impossible situation, the RSPCA advises that people monitor the situation for 24 hours and try coaxing them down with smelly treats or fish.