A discarded food can proved too great a temptation for a black and white stray cat in Milton Keynes - who got his head firmly wedged inside.
It led to a week-long cat hunt as he desperately tried to dislodge the can but skittered away from all attempts to catch him in Kents Hill.
Finally, a team led by RSPCA MK specialist trappers netted him in Tunbridge Grove.
Twelve local traps had been set and with the help of concerned members of the public the terrified moggie was cornered – but he still managed to evade capture for a further hour as darkness fell.
"He was scared and went into fight or flight mode," explained an RSPCA spokesperson, "Despite his desperate plight and not having eaten for days he was determined to avoid us. He had amazing agility and even wriggled out of a small gap in a garden shed to elude us.”
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The cat – now named Finn – was taken straight to the vet where the can was removed. He was given fluids to rehydrate him plus antibiotics and pain relief.
“He is very underweight, but responding remarkably well to the treatment. We are enormously grateful to those people who helped.”
Finn is a male cat with no identifying chip and is thought to be a stray living off his wits on the estate.
Once he can eat normally and, depending on his temperament, he will be neutered and re-homed.
“This is one of the most complex cat hunts we have undertaken involving a large number of traps and the support of a posse of volunteers," the spokesperson added.
It was a day of success as the trapper team was just returning from rounding up another stray cat and her five kittens near Bletchley when the fresh sighting came in.
“He’s managed to travel quite some distance over a week and clearly we had to field the operation when there was the best chance of success. Thankfully this paid off. He now has cotton wool in his ears as his ordeal has made him hypersensitive to noise. He will be coming into the care of the RSPCA MK at our cattery once he is passed fit enough.”
The cost of Finn’s treatment is being bourn by the RSPCA who would be grateful for any donations towards his rehabilitation. Click here to donate.
