Elderly cat Alfie rescued by firefighters in Harrogate

Alfie climbed out of the window on the fourth floor of his Harrogate home but suddenly felt too scared to climb back inside. 

As the ginger and white cat meowed for rescue, the RSPCA arrived on the scene.

Deputy Chief Inspector Claire Mitchell tried to gain access to the roof with ladders.

After failed attempts, Claire called on North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue - which sent crews over to West Park with a cherry picker to bring the cat to safety.

Claire said: “Cats are very agile and seem to like getting themselves into a spot of bother sometimes and Alfie is no exception!

"He must have climbed out of the fourth-storey window onto the roof and got himself into a pickle as he couldn’t get back down.

"We were very grateful for the fire services who attended to help rescue Alfie - although it seems as though Alfie was less grateful as he got spooked by the cherry picker and managed to get himself down from the roof after all!

“Thankfully, he was fine after his ordeal and didn’t suffer any injuries. He ran off pretty quickly down the road but was reunited with his worried owner.”

The RSPCA can request the help of the fire and rescue service but it is entirely up to the service whether or not to attend.

Some crews use animal rescues for training but emergencies involving people will always take priority.

In some cases crews attend to minimise the risk of members of the public attempting to carry out rescues themselves and potentially putting themselves in danger.

The RSPCA is asking people to donate to its Cancel Out Cruelty campaign by visiting www.rspca.org.uk/stopcruelty