Cat gets stuck in a tree twice in 24 hours and needs police, RSCPA, six tree surgeons, three fire crews, a cherry picker and a road closure to be rescued.
They say cats have nine lives, but this mischievous moggy is certainly down a couple after it had to be rescued from a tree twice in just 24 hours.
Tree surgeons were called to free the adventurous feline after it became stuck in the branches above a leafy west London street on Friday.
The animal was brought back down again, only to hurtle up the same tree in Shepherd's Bush the next day - this time requiring a team of fire fighters and a cherry picker to retrieve it.
In total, the two rescue missions required the help of police, the RSPCA, six tree surgeons, three fire crews, the cherry picker and a road closure.
The cat, which residents have named Coningham, after the street where the two dramas unfolded, was first spotted stuck in the tree at around 9am on Friday.
It was still there that afternoon, when one neighbour called police and the RSPCA to rescue the cat.
London Fire Brigade was called but, according to neighbours, crews decided it would be too dangerous to climb into the tree with an unsupported ladder.
The frightened animal darted further up into the tree, which resulted in a team of tree surgeons being called in by Hammersmith and Fulham Council.
Six tree surgeons had arrived, wrongly thinking that the tree was about to collapse, but when they realised there was no risk to the public, four left, leaving two Daniel Hancox and Dave Blair to venture into the branches and bring down the cat.
'It was about 40ft up and in quite a precarious position, particularly as it was quite windy,' Mr Hancox told The Daily Telegraph.
'The cat was quite agitated but I think it was so tired having been up there for so long that it was relieved to be rescued. We usually get abuse for felling trees so it was nice to do something positive.'
That night, one neighbour took the cat in, but set it free the next day because she thought it might have belonged to another resident.
However, the cat sprinted back up the tree again and spent Saturday night desperately mewing as it again became stuck. The next morning, the RSPCA and the fire brigade were again called, joined shortly afterwards by a second team of fire fighters and their aerial ladder and platform.
The street was closed to the public and neighbours told to remain inside their homes while the crews climbed into the branches and managed to usher the cat into the cherry picker and carry it back to the ground, where it was taken in by a vetinary assistant living nearby.
An RSPCA spokesman said: 'The RSPCA received a number of calls on Friday 17 July about a cat stuck in a tree.
'If a cat is not injured or in immediate danger, we do recommend that the caller places strong smelling food at the foot of the tree to tempt the cat down, and monitors the situation wherever possible - as most cats will make their own way down. However, if the situation hasn't changed over 24/ 48 hours, then we will attend.
'In this particular incident, while we maintained contact with the caller, an unknown person arranged for the cat to be rescued. At present an owner has not yet been identified.
'Unfortunately, we then received further reports that a cat (which is thought to be the same one), had climbed back up the tree. An RSPCA officer was on stand by to attend if the cat had not managed climb down, but we received no further calls to this effect. We are relieved to hear the cat has now been rescued from his second adventure.'
A London Fire Brigade spokeman said: 'If there is a cat up a tree, or an animal stuck anywhere, the first port of call should always be the RSPCA, not the emergency services as was the case in these incidents.
'If they can’t get them down then they will ask us to attend but we’d ask pet owners to keep a close eye on their animals in a bid to avoid some of these situations happening. When firefighters are out rescuing animals, they’re not available to attend real emergencies.'
By Lucy Crossley for MailOnline