We’ve all seen the classic TV show Lassie, or are at least familiar with the typical premise: Lassie the dog discovers Timmy in a well, and saves the day by running to get help.
While it seems far-fetched, we’ve seen plenty of real-life Lassies. Like one recent story, where a dog saved the day after finding a lost cat who was trapped in a well, writes theanimalclub.
Sisters Freya and Keira Hill, from Northamptonshire, are the owners of a one-year-old cat named Flea. But on April 24, the sisters became worried after Flea disappeared. They knew their cat had a curious streak, and worried it may have gotten her into serious trouble.
“We perhaps thought she’d been hit by a car or something so obviously we were thinking perhaps the worst happened to her because it’s out of character for her to go missing for any length of time,” Freya told the Press Association.
“She has a habit of wandering off with people and trying to make friends with lots of people.”
Flea was missing for over a week, and despite their search efforts she was nowhere to be found. But it turned out, she was just across the road, but out-of-sight in one place no one would think to look: the bottom of a well!
Luckily, a local dog apparently caught the cat’s scent and began to raise an alarm near the well, according to the BBC. This got the attention of the property owners, who investigated and heard Flea’s faint meowing from the well.
Thankfully, the cat was still alive, even after days trapped in the well. While the well contained a foot of water, she survived by hanging on to a ledge.
“Fire crew used cutting equipment to remove the grating at the top of the well and lowered a ladder to the bottom enabling a crew member to descend,” Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service wrote on Facebook.
“Flea was enticed off the ledge using cat food and was brought to the surface and handed back safely to its owners.”
Despite the ordeal, the cat was still in good spirits. Freya told BBC that Flea acted like “nothing happened,” and was “hungry and happy and sitting by the radiator.”
“She’s quite unfazed by the ordeal and happy to be back I think,” she told PA.
“We’re relieved she’s home and we’re thankful to everyone that helped.”
While Flea might not think much of it, her owners will have to keep a close eye on her adventurous behavior: “She’s definitely trying to use up one of her nine lives,” Freya told BBC.
We’re so glad Flea is safe and sound! Thank you to the firefighters (and smart dog) who helped get this curious cat home!
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