Cat rescued after spending five days on chimney stack

When three-year-old Angel climbed on the roof a Shropshire home on New Year’s Day, the cat could have had little idea about how much of a stir she was causing on the ground. Neighbours looked on in disbelief as the feline remained on the rooftop of the Telford home. Food was left out in a bid to lure the moggy down and residents kept an eye on the animal wondering what to do. Firefighters and RSPCA officers were even called out to try to rescue the cat.



But after a five-day stalemate, and as a fire crew got within touching distance of Angel, the cat quickly made her own way down from the chimney breast of the two storey house on Hadley Park Road in Leegomery. Neighbour Sharon Howells, 33, was the first person to spot the cat on the roof. She said: “On New Year’s Day me and my dad went up to the fire station to see what they could do, we didn’t want to call 999. They said to phone the RSPCA who would advise us on what to do.”

Neighbour Cliff Bradley, 55, said: “I think what’s happened is the fireworks on New Year’s Eve have frightened it. We did have quite a few fireworks that night.” After Angel came down, Shaun Howden, an officer with the RSPCA, said: “The animal isn’t injured and it’s not in trouble, it’s just a bit scared.” Ian Leigh, of Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service which sent an aerial ladder and crew to try to rescue the cat yesterday, said: “Members of the public were obviously concerned about the cat and using the aerial platform is the only safe way of getting up there.



“It’s an understandable concern but we work with the RSPCA to establish if they require our assistance. You can see the amount of resources it can take so people should only make contact with the RSPCA or ourselves if they really think it’s an emergency.” RSPCA spokeswoman Calie Rydings said: “A stranded cat will be left for a certain amount of time while it appears to be in good health. Usually if food is left for the cat at the bottom of the house it will find its own way down.”