Noise came from battery-operated cat
- Fears that it was a missing pet called Puss Puss
When passers-by heard meowing coming from inside a clothes recycling bin their first thought was to get help as quickly as possible.
Especially as it was feared the trapped cat could be missing pet Puss-Puss, who may have been struggling get out as she was pregnant.
Firefighters were even called to the clothes bank recycling centre on Anglesey, North Wales, as part of the 12-hour effort to rescue the trapped animal.
In the end it had needed engineers with cutting equipment to slice through the steel. - but all they discovered inside was a battery-operated toy.
Miaow!: Rescuers spent 12 hours trying to get this squeaky toy cat out of a clothes bank, thinking it was a real cat
The alarm was raised when a woman passerby heard mewing from the steel recycling units in the village of Moelfre on Anglesey.
A heavily pregnant cat called Puss-Puss was missing in the village for days - and it was believed she was stranded inside the clothes bin.
Villagers tried to free the animal as the meow sounds continued from inside.
But the locks had been tampered with - and they were unable to open the clothes bank to reach the cat.
The fire service, the RSPCA and bin operators all failed to open the bin as the mewing carried on.
Missing: Puss Puss, the pregnant cat rescuers thought was stuck in the recycling bin
Villagers set off to find food to put inside the bin for the cat.
With concerns for the pregnant cat growing the bin was transported 18 miles to specialist engineering firm K Owen in Llanrhyddlad.
Engineers used a steel saw to cut their way into the bin - nearly 24 hours after the drama started.
Owner Kelvin Owen said: ‘Once we got into the bin we heard the meow again, it sounded just like a cat and we all started to carefully search the bags.
‘Then I found a bag of toys and picked out a toy cat.
‘I said: ‘It couldn't be this could it?’ It wasn't making any noise and I asked if I could cut it open to investigate. As I held it, it went off, meow, meow, mystery solved!
Effort: Rescuers try to get into recycling bin to save 'Puss Puss', but it turned out it was a toy cat, pictured with pet rescue volunteer Rachel Owen
‘The lads were in stitches, it was such a laugh.’
Would-be rescuer Jasmine Hazelhurst, from Anglesey Pets, said: ‘I did feel embarrassed when they pulled out the stuffed cat.
‘But I am also proud at the way everyone rallied around to save the cat.
‘Local people did so much to save the cat and it shows what community spirit there is.
‘We feared finding a dead cat in the clothes bank so to find a stuffed toy was a relief.’
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