Cat mother, kitten trapped in ventilation shaft for 8 days rescued

New Delhi : Finally there came an end to their ordeal for eight days, going all the while on an empty stomach. 

The mother cat and her kitten, who were trapped in a ventilation shaft on a 15-metre-long building, came out none the worse for their suffering. 

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India on Tuesday successfully rescued the animals.

The team went into action after receiving a call from a concerned citizen on its national animal-emergency helpline. The rescue took an hour-and-a-half.

"The mother cat emerged from the shaft through a window and was then carefully captured by the rescuers, and her kitten was removed from the shaft using a dog-catching net," PETA said in a statement.

Local residents reported that after giving birth to new litters, the mother cat relocated them to what she considered a safer place, and that this kitten likely fell into the shaft in the process.

People have started feeding the kitten, and the mother. The cat will be sterilized once the kitten stops suckling.

"Through sheer persistence and determination, local residents and our rescue staff helped the mother cat and her kitten escape a dangerous situation that could have led to injury or death," said PETA India Emergency Response Coordinator Sreekutty B.

IANS report with edits