The fire department came to the rescue last week after a cat fell and became wedged between two buildings in Port Alberni’s Uptown district.
Nearby residents on Third Avenue, between Argyle and Angus Streets, had been alerted to the cat’s presence by its cries for help.
According to a social media post from the Port Alberni Fire Department (PAFD), members arrived on scene to find a cat trapped between the roof and the ground, too far in from the road to reach by hand.
“PAFD wrapped a fire hose under the cat and tried to lift but even after lubricating the cat from above with dish soap the cat wouldn’t budge,” the department explained.
But the story had a happy ending. The PAFD was able to lower a pneumatic lifting bag beside the trapped cat and compress one of the walls just enough to free it. The feline was hoisted to safety using an improvised hose “sling.”
Throughout the rescue, the fire department received advice from the Alberni-Clayoquot branch of the SPCA, as well as Bute Street Veterinary Clinic and Central Island Veterinary Emergency Hospital.
After the rescue, the cat was transported by the SPCA to get washed up and checked on by a vet.