Cat rescued after spending five days trapped beneath building in Dundee during Storm Eowyn

A cat has been rescued after spending five days trapped beneath a building in Dundee as Storm Eowyn battered Scotland.

Concerned residents on Craigard Road called the SSPCA after hearing the cat, Cleo, crying from the foundations of a block of flats on January 30.

Animal rescue officers Stephanie Smillie and Lucy Rattray discovered the 15-year-old Bengal stuck five feet underground and began working to rescue her.

Cleo had been stuck for over five days without access to food or water.

Stephanie said: “We knew we had to do everything in our power to get her out safely.”

After multiple attempts to lure Cleo out with food, planks of wood, and rope, they realised she didn’t have enough energy to climb out on her own and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was called in to help.

“After carefully tearing up some floorboards, they discovered a tiny trap door leading into the foundations from the building’s kitchen,” she explained.

“With their help, we were finally able to reach Cleo and free her.”

Cleo was exhausted when she was freed but showed signs of improvement after “lots of cuddles, a good meal, and a big drink of water”.

Following the rescue, work began to return Cleo to her home but her microchip was discovered to be out of date and listed to an address in England.

Stephanie added: “But we weren’t ready to give up. Thanks to the power of social media, we managed to track down Cleo’s owner, who turned out to live just a few streets away.

“This is a rescue mission we’ll never forget.”

Cleo’s owner, Arlene Connor, was delighted to have her back home safe four weeks after first going missing.

Arlene said with the cold weather conditions, she had feared the worst but was “overjoyed” to find out her girl was safe.

“When she first came home, she was always by my side and needed extra reassurance. She’s now getting better and is eating and drinking well,” she added.

“I’m taking her to the vet for a check-up, and whilst there’s a long way to go until Cleo’s back to normal, I’m just so glad to have her home.”