Kitten dials 111

Tabby contemplates his next move. Picture / Martin Sykes

Tabby the cat may be only four months old but he already knows what to do in case of an emergency.

In fact, there was no apparent emergency when he was left home alone on Saturday night, but Tabby dialled 111 anyway - sparking a police callout that saw officers break into the Mt Eden home of the Abhayaratne family.

Arriving home to what appeared to be a break-in, the family were stunned to discover that nothing was missing. The smashed glass door was the only sign that someone had been inside until a note revealed the police were the culprits.

It explained that a 111 call had been received and officers had no choice but to break in after getting no response from inside the house.

"It [the note] said the cat had called 111. We thought we had been burgled at first and couldn't believe it," said 14-year-old Harindu Abhayaratne.

The telephone, which is also a fax machine, sits on a desk in the lounge. Its big buttons would easily be triggered by a kitten strolling over them.

Tabby has been known to turn on the television with the remote, but this was his first phonecall.

Harindu's mother, Mihiri, said she had sometimes scolded the children for not turning off the TV, before realising Tabby was to blame.

She said insurance had paid for replacing the glass, and the family would now be extra careful about where they left the phone.

Police spokeswoman Noreen Hegarty said police were called to the house on Saturday. "We answered the callout and entered the property, but there was only the cat there."