Firefighters Join 12-Hour 'Rescue' Of Toy Cat

Firefighters helped in a 12-hour rescue of a "pregnant cat" from a clothes recycling bin - only to discover the trapped creature was a cuddly toy.

After struggling to reach what they thought was a missing local pet, engineers were called to cut through the steel.

But once inside they were greeted by a meowing battery-operated toy.

The alarm was raised when a woman passing the bin in the village of Moelfre, on Anglesey, north Wales, heard cat sounds.

Initially it was feared the animal was heavily-pregnant moggy called Puss Puss, who had been missing for days.

Believing she was stranded in the bin, villagers tried in vain to get inside the clothes bank and the fire service and RSPCA were called.

In the end they had to transport the bin 18 miles to a specialist engineering company in Llanrhyddlad, where a steel saw was used to cut it open.

Company owner Kelvin Owen told the Daily Post: "Once we got into the bin we heard the meow again, it sounded just like a cat and we all started to carefully search the bags.

"Then I found a bag of toys and picked out a toy cat, I said 'it couldn't be this could it', it wasn't making any noise and I asked if I could cut it open to investigate. As I held it, it went off, meow, meow, mystery solved!

"The lads were in stitches, it was such a laugh."

Would-be rescuer Jasmine Hazelhurst, from Anglesey Pets, said: "We feared finding a dead cat in the clothes bank so to find a stuffed toy was a relief."

Puss Puss is still missing. Anyone who sees her can contact the Facebook site of Freetoagoodhome Anglesey.