A cat which became stuck in a wall cavity at a Dealz shop in Athenry, Co Galway, has been rescued thanks to a team effort by staff and the Galway SPCA.
The six-month-old female cat was first heard by shoppers about six weeks ago, and had been coming and going from the shop at different times of the day and night.
She was not using the front door however, rather escaping through a hole in the roof.
Staff at Dealz tried to coax her out using sardines but she was not interested.
But over time, it became apparent that the cat was in some distress and appeared to be stuck in the wall cavity.
The shop manager as well as a maintenance team eventually were able to free the feline, who they affectionally called 'Dealz', by drilling into the wall.
Galway SPCA cattery manager Tara Croke said the cat had been able to come and go by climbing up and down support beams, but over time, damaged her nails in the process and was in pain.
She said that attempts were made to lure the cat out on multiple occasions, with hours spent up on the roof of Dealz, but the cat was hiding in fear.
"She was crying all day long and it was a member of the public who first alerted us to her being stuck in the wall. At first we thought the noise might be a cat that had had kittens and had hidden them in the wall for safety.
"But this is very strange behaviour for a domestic cat. We didn't know if she was a feral cat, or what we might find when we got to her, but it's true that domestic cats cannot look after themselves as well as people might think.
"How or why she ended up there remains a mystery. She was underweight when we finally got to her, but not dehydrated. We think she was suffering from a lack of food rather than no food at all".
When she was discovered, the young cat was severely underweight weighing just 1.2kg, which is a third of the ideal weight for her age.
Ms Croke said that she suspected the cat was someone's pet as she is domesticated.
Since coming to the cattery earlier this week, she has started to put on weight, is still quite timid but is doing well considering the ordeal.
"Her owners have not come forward, so she'll be going to a foster home first with the hopes of being adopted once she is well enough to be spayed and chipped," she said.
"She's such a sweet cat who thrives off human interaction, so we just can't understand how someone wouldn't be missing her," she added.
She said that as it is kitten season at the moment, there may be an influx of cats into the cattery, and encouraged cat owners to get their pets neutered.
"We want to say a massive thank you to the staff and management team at Dealz for their help and for being so accommodating. They worked with us so well and organised ladders, access, and most importantly pulling down the shelves and putting a hole in the wall so that we could rescue the cat, who we have named Dealz in their honour," Ms Croke said.
In a statement, the retailer said: "We're so pleased 'Dealz' is recovering well and receiving lots of cuddles as she settles into her much comfier life.
"A huge thanks to Galway SPCA for their support and hopefully they'll find a new home for her soon."
