Firefighters have reunited a missing cat with its family after rescuing it from a car engine where it had been stuck for up to a week.
Crews were called to reports of the stuck cat on Morpeth Street in Bethnal Green after the car’s owner switched on the engine and heard a meow.
On opening the bonnet, he saw the wedged moggy – who turned out to be a young tabby named Mikey - and had no idea how to safely get him out.
Firefighters from Bethnal Green were shown where the cat was and were able to use specialist equipment and tools to carefully release him.
After having no luck in finding a charity which could take the cat in, they took him back to the station, gave him some tuna and set about trying to find his owners.
Station Officer Sam Redfern, who was at the scene, said: “We could just see a tiny ball of fur and he was all tangled up in the wires so we had to dismantle the light fittings to get him out.
“Once we released him, we could see the poor thing was just skin and bone.
“He didn’t run off and we had no idea if he was local, and then he started winding round one of the firefighter’s legs so we took him back to the station. He ate three tins of tuna and all he wanted was cuddles.
“Firefighter Tony Welden then started trawling local missing pet social media posts and eventually found one that sounded like him so he contacted the owner, Nazia.
“She came to the station straight away and just burst into tears as soon as she saw him. It turns out he had been missing for more than a week - and they only live a few streets away from where he was found.
"Nazia and her six-year-old son Dante have since been back to the station to say thank you and she said he was absolutely beside himself to have his cat back – he was so happy.
“When he woke up the next morning, the first thing he said was “Mikey I can’t believe you’re home.”
“It’s so great to have had a really successful rescue and to be part of a lovely story – it’s just fantastic and really wholesome.
“I think some of the crew thought we might have got a permanent station cat so they were a bit disappointed – but Mikey does still owe his mess bill!”
Firefighters did put the car back together and the owner was able to go on his way.
The work of a firefighter is varied and involves all sorts of different incidents and they are ready, willing and able to assist distressed or injured animals.
The last thing firefighters want is for people to put themselves at risk rescuing an animal themselves – but the Brigade does encourage people to call the RSPCA in the first instance and they will assist if specialist equipment is required, as it was in this case.
The Brigade was called at 1940 and the incident was over for firefighters by 2013. One fire engine from Bethnal Green Fire Station attended.