Two week old kitten rescued from recycling container in Liverpool
Biff was rescued by the RSPCA after getting trapped in a container full of cardboard
A two week old kitten has been rescued from a cardboard recycling container in Liverpool, in what's been dubbed an 'extraordinary' rescue.
Staff from wholesaler Makro on the Britonwood Trading Estate called the RSPCA after hearing meowing from inside the container, which was being filled with flattened cardboard boxes.
When an RSPCA inspector arrived on scene, she saw the face of an adult cat peeking out of a tiny hole and was able to hear the meowing of a kitten.
It's thought both had been trapped for several days after mum climbed into the container to give birth.
The inspector, with the help of Makro staff, spent five hours removing cardboard from the container in an attempted to reach the cats.
They were forced to come back the next day to complete the work, but ultimately managed to get to two week old Biff.
It's thought his mum managed to escape and the RSPCA are now working to trap her.
Biff is now safe at the RSPCA's Wirral and Chester Branch. He is now putting on weight and has made friends with two other orphan kittens - Chip and Kipper.
Joanne said: “Only one kitten was heard or seen inside the container so we’re fairly sure there weren't anymore.
"Mum had obviously snuck in when it wasn’t full in the hope of giving birth somewhere she thought was safe, warm and dry. But because the container is continuously being filled, her escape route became blocked.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Thomas Cheeseman and his colleagues at Makro for the incredible support they gave us from the start of the operation until the finish - their care and compassion was heartwarming - as well the container company, DS Smith, who sent a driver out of hours to move the compactor.
“It was a complex operation as we had to remove all the cardboard by hand as using any sort of machinery would have risked injuring the cats, plus little Biff was right at the other end of the container.
“We’re obviously concerned about his mum and we’ll be working with another charity to try and trap her. And of course this very unusual rescue highlights just how beneficial neutering is for the welfare of cats.”