A cat that had been missing for almost two weeks was reunited with its owner yesterday after being freed from behind the wall of a Sha Tin shopping centre.
Eight rescuers took more than two hours to free the cat, which finally ran out on its own after an animal-welfare inspector had clambered three metres into the cavity behind the wall.
The male cat, owned by a restaurant operator at the shopping centre, had earlier ignored all inducements to come out, including a tray of milk.
Residents who heard its cries at Sha Tin Fun City in Lek Yuen Street around noon called the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Three inspectors who answered the call found the only entrance, a 45cm hole, was covered by a metal cover they could not remove, so they called the fire service, and an engine with five officers arrived at 12.20pm.
When a firefighter and inspector climbed into the cavity, the cat retreated through a narrow gap. 'We tried to catch it with tools, but the attempt failed,' an SPCA spokeswoman said.
