A mischievous cat that managed to get itself stuck 100ft off the ground was rescued by a fire crew on Monday after spending 26 hours in the lofty branches.
'Gizmo' the cat went missing from his home in Fareham, Hampshire, before being discovered by a passerby hiding away in a tree.
After a rudimentary rescue attempt yielded no results, a local woman took to social media asking for help and in an attempt to find the feline's owner.
"It was my friend who I work with that spotted him and messaged me as it was my night off. He knew I had been in contact with owner before," Louise Purdue told Hampshire Live.
"He was told the cat was up there when he got to work as someone else had seen him chased up the tree. And to be up there being at -4C overnight - I'd been awake for over 24 hours when he messaged, but couldn't go to sleep without trying to help in some way.
"I even messaged my son who lives in Barnstaple to try and get hold of someone at Wickes, he used to work there, to see if they could rescue him. I was doing everything I could and it's not even my cat.
"A work friend of mine went down all Bear Grylls with a saw and rope at one point. It was quite amusing!"
Locals began suggesting methods to coax the shivering cat down from the sky above by offering a tin of sardines or tuna as a reward at the bottom, but to no avail.
At 60ft off the ground, this was a job for an expert - so a tree surgeon was called.
Their attempt lasted until nearly midnight and resulted in the cat climbing up a further 40ft.
The RSPCA were then contacted - they advised to wait 24 hours to see if Gizmo came down on his own.
Eventually, after 26 hours in the tree, the RSPCA and Hampshire Fire and Rescue came out with a cherry picker to rescue the kitty.
He is now back home and is doing well after his ordeal.
Owner Hannah said: "Gizmo is now safe and sound but is grounded for the time being. I was mad but worried for him at the same time.
"We have four other cats at my mums and none of them have pulled this rubbish before. He is a nightmare but we are glad he’s safe and no one got hurt getting the stubborn boy down."
A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: “When cats get stuck up trees, in a vast majority of cases, they can get themselves down and trying to rescue them can actually put them at risk as they may fall or jump trying to escape.
"That’s why we would normally ask owners to try and tempt their cat down with smelly treats or by warming food a little to increase its odour in the first instance and keep a close eye on them. After a while if the cat still appears to be stuck, or if something changes in the meantime, we’d ask owners to call us and we will do what we can to help.
"We may ask owners to contact a tree surgeon if the cat is stuck in a position where our officers would not be able to help - given the limited equipment at our disposal. There are always exceptions to the rule, for example if weather conditions are particularly bad or if the cat is injured or very young.
"Worried owners can call the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999 and we can contact the fire service to ask for help if necessary.”
