Cat rescued by a whisker

Severely bruised, hungry and with a severed tail, a stray cat in Vittoriosa has finished off at least a couple of its nine lives.

But the 18-month-old cat should thank its lucky stars after being trapped with no food in an old washing machine underground for three days, following an operation after someone had set its tail alight.

The cat is now being nursed back to health after a rare and difficult rescue operation which involved the intervention of some five organisations, a bread seller and a mayor.

Around a month ago, the cat plodded into Vittoriosa, with its tail burnt. Resident Mary Parretti took her under her wing and after several visits to the vet there was no choice but to sever its tail.

The operation was carried out last week but the anaesthetic and the stitches did little to calm the animal down. Upon reaching Ms Parretti's home, she charged outdoors, squeezing through a door.

The cat raced out into the street, went through an opening in a wall and down a gaping hole - and disappeared.

"The next day residents heard the cat crying but even though we spent two days doing our best we just couldn't get to it," Ms Parretti recalled.

The rescuers first had to dismantle some stone slabs and then had to unearth a couple of trees and dig into the soil, until much to their surprise they found a twin tub washing machine buried underneath the soil and rubble.

A grinder had to be used to force open the metal parts until the rescuers could reach the ailing cat, which by then had been without any food or water for four days.

Scared out of her wits, the cat ran out and straight into another wide crevice in a wall. This time however she was plucked out soon after.

The operation was coordinated between members of the Community Animal Welfare Society, the Foundation of St Francis for Animals, Animal Ambulance, the Department of Civil Protection - and the local bread seller. Vittoriosa mayor John Boxall also gave immediate permission to the fire brigade to bring down a wall.

But the good deeds of some is counterbalanced by the cruelty of others. Manuel Magrin, from SOS Animals, said this was not the first case of animal cruelty in Vittoriosa. Suffice it to say that some weeks ago, a kitten was heard crying out for help at the bottom of a skip.

SOS Animals, is however, finding it financially difficult to cope with the overwhelming calls for help.