Saved by a whisker

A stubborn cat that had evaded rescue attempts in the past was saved from a building that was about to be torn down.

Members of the St Francis Foundation for Animals went to the cat's rescue when they realised that demolition works had started on the derelict building which had served as the cat's dwelling place for the last four years. Manwel Magrin of the foundation said the cat used to live on the first floor and had no way of getting down. The animal had originally been part of a colony of 30 cats which used to be fed by an Italian air hostess who later returned to Italy. Before doing so she had asked the foundation to evacuate the cats.

But volunteers only managed to catch 29 of them. One of the cats just refused to enter the cat traps even though it was often left without food for three days, Mr Magrin said. Since then it has been fed and taken care of by foundation members.

When volunteers lately realised that the building was about to be demolished, an extra effort was put in to catch the independent-minded animal.

Foundation volunteers finally managed to pull the cat to safety assisted by members of the Department of Civil Protection.

Any donations to the foundation can be made through HSBC Account number: 040001034050. www.saintfrancisfoundation.com