Just another day for firefighters paw-tting in the effort for moggy rescues

Felines kept firefighters busy in Hamilton and Auckland yesterday after getting stuck in precarious positions. Photo/File

Firefighters around the country may have thought they were being played for fools after responding to calls about moggies stuck in precarious positions.

The cats, one in Hamilton another in Auckland, were not fe-line too well but were rescued without any harm done.

Northern fire communications shift manager Paul Radden said the first call was to Glen Cree Ave in Rototuna, Hamilton, just before 3.30pm yesterday.

Firefighters were the last resort for the owner who was all out of ideas after the cat had been stuck up a tree for three days.

After grabbing an extension ladder, the Chartwell firefighters managed to get the stressed animal down by 4pm - without a scratch.

Meanwhile, in The Avenues, Mt Roskill, Auckland, a kitten managed to get itself stuck in a hole in the wall.

Radden said the hole appeared to have been made for electrical wiring, but the kitten's curiosity got the better of it and it went in to have a look.

The precious moggy was freed much to the delight of its owner, with little more damage to the wall.

Radden said it was all in a day's work for each of the brigades.

"As much as life and property are out main focus we never forget our furry friends," he said.

Animal rescues are nothing new for firefighters.

Figures supplied to the Herald from 2016 to the end of 2017 showed there were 889 animal rescue callouts.

Of those, 435 were for cats, 212 for dogs, 77 for horses, 55 for birds, 42 for ducks, 24 for cows, and 39 were categorised as unknown.

Most - 324 - were in Auckland, followed by Christchurch at 89, and Wellington with 31.