Miracle Cat Socks Survives 34 Days Trapped Inside a Metal Storage Container

HAYWARDS HEATH, England - A cat is recovering after surviving for OVER A MONTH trapped inside a 20ft industrial storage container.

Charity Cats Protection has reunited 11-month-old Socks with his owners after an electrician found the emaciated moggy inside the metal unit.

Socks, who went missing on May 13, is thought to have survived by licking condensation from the sides of the container in Arbroath, Angus.

Although desperately thin - half his ideal bodyweight - and dehydrated, the mischievous moggy is expected to make a full recovery from his ordeal.

The drama began when Socks went missing on May 13 and owner Michelle Maher, of Arbroath, reported him missing to Cats Protection.

Michelle put up posters and searched the streets whilst Cats Protection volunteers kept a lookout for the missing puss.

Unbeknown to them, Socks had snuck into a 20ft metal container - similar to shipping containers - which was used by store equipment and supplies for electrical company D Adam & Company.

He was discovered 34 days later on June 16 when electrician Murray Ruxton went to carry out a stock-check at the unit.

He said: “I was just going through some stock and I saw something out the corner of my eye shuffling about. When I realised it was a cat I knew straightaway he must be in trouble as none of us had visited the unit for at least four weeks.

“He was really friendly and came up to me but I realised how thin he was and was very concerned so I rang Cats Protection, and a volunteer came straight out.

“I’m amazed by him and so thrilled he is doing well. I am planning to go and see him and say hello properly.

“None of the staff had seen him before and certainly hadn’t spotted him sneaking into the container. We’re all just thrilled he’s okay.”

Socks was taken to a vet and put on a drip to give him fluids. It was discovered his ordeal had made his weight plummet to 2.1 kg - far below his ideal weight of 4kg.

Sharyn Wood, Coordinator of Cats Protection’s Arbroath Branch, said: “We got Socks to a vet straight away, who said it is an absolute miracle he has survived.

“As soon as I saw him I realised he must be Michelle’s missing cat so I was thrilled to be able to ring her and say he’s okay.

“There was no water in the unit and certainly no food, so we can only assume he has survived by licking condensation.

“Cats do have a habit of sneaking into all sorts of nooks and crannies, but I’ve never heard of anything like this before.

“Cats are remarkably resilient but to survive for over a month in those conditions it really quite amazing. We are just so happy that Socks is okay, but I hope he will be a little more cautious in the future!”

Owner Michelle Maher, of Arbroath, said: “I couldn’t believe it, I still can’t believe it - I am just overjoyed.

“I was desperate to find him and had been searching the streets and putting posters up. I think I had started to give up hope.

“When I went to the vets and saw him I just burst into tears. He was the same old Socks and was purring and rubbing up against me. I thought he would look very unwell, but he doesn’t look too bad and has obviously been grooming his coat a lot.

“I am just so happy to have him back.”

Cats Protection’s Arbroath Branch is part of a nationwide network of 252 volunteer-run branches and 29 Adoption Centres that together rehome and reunite 55,000 cats every year.

Notes to Editors:

1) Cats Protection’s vision is to ensure that every cat is given the chance of a life where it will be treated with kindness and an understanding of its needs.

2) Cats Protection’s registered charity number is SCO37711 (Scotland) and 203644 (England and Wales). The charity’s vision is to ensure that every cat is given the chance of a life where it will be treated with kindness and an understanding of its needs.

3) Founded as the Cats Protection League in 1927, the charity adopted the name Cats Protection in 1998. We ask that you use the name Cats Protection when referring to the charity in all published material.

4) More information about the work of Cats Protection can be found at www.cats.org.uk

Source: Cats Protection

For media enquiries or to arrange photographs, please contact Cats Protection’s Media Office on +44(0)1825-741-911 or media.office at cats.org.uk