Fire service turn out to save cat stranded for almost two days on Cheshire rooftop

Firefighters turned out to help the RSPCA after an adventurous cat got stuck on a rooftop.

Coco the cat was stranded for almost two days on the roof of the three-storey property on Gravel Lane in Wilmslow, Cheshire, at the end of June and refused all offers of help.

RSPCA inspector Lisa Lupson, who attended the incident, said: "This poor cat had been stuck on the roof for about 36 hours.

"We’d initially advised the owner to try and coax their cat down with some strong smelling food like fish as we do find that often when cats seem trapped at heights they can actually get themselves down with ease as they are extremely agile.

"However, this hadn’t worked and as the roof of the building was incredibly high being a three-storey building, the owner was becoming increasingly worried.

"So I attended along with the fire and rescue services to try and help. When fire services attempted to reach the cat she was too scared and would back away so in the end, the owner went up in the cherry picker which meant the cat started to come part way down the roof.

"I was on hand to show the fire services how to use my reach and rescue pole and then an officer was able to use my equipment to safely contain Coco and bring her to safety.

"It was a joint effort which really shows the value of partnership working."

According to Lisa, Coco’s owner was incredibly grateful for the rescue of her much-loved cat, who immediately showed her gratitude by running home without a second glance at her rescuers.

Lisa added: "Our specialist officers will always help with complex rescues like this where we can, to ensure the safety of both the animal and the public by using our specialist skills, training and equipment.

"But there are also lots of situations where animal-lovers can help animals themselves, such as when a hedgehog has fallen into a garden drain or a bird has flown into a kitchen.

"When an animal is in need, the quicker they get help the better. We’re asking the public to help smaller trapped animals if it’s safe to do so.

"We have step-by-step guides to help the public free animals from common scenarios, such as a hedgehog tangled in a football net or a bat trapped in a garage.

"By working together, we can all help more animals, more quickly. We’re grateful to all animal-lovers for helping to create a kinder world for every kind."