Cat rescued by RSPCA after breaking into prison

A cat was rescued by the RSPCA after getting stuck on a 25-foot fence inside a prison in Cumbria.

The cat, named Padfoot, was spotted by staff and inmates at HM Prison Haverigg in Millom, Cumbria on December 21 after he got stuck inside the prison perimeter on a fence.

RSPCA inspector Martyn Fletcher said: “I have no idea how he managed to get so far inside the prison and so high up the fence… He was able to move precariously on the top of the fence but this meant walking on razor wire. He nearly fell three times but managed to grasp the wire and pull himself to safety.

“The poor cat was very scared and reluctant to be rescued. It took a lot of patience, some ladders and a reach and rescue pole to be able to bring him to safety.

“He’s such a lovely cat, I didn’t want to put him into a cattery over Christmas and New Year so I took him home with me where he could chill out for the festivities but luckily the owners made contact the next day after hearing what had happened from their neighbours.”

He was taken to the vet with minor injuries and taken in by Mr Fletcher before his owners were able to come and pick him up.

Padfoot’s owner, Angela Driver Swales, said: “He’d been missing for about four or five days but he’s done this before. He will go but he always comes back so it wasn’t until one of our neighbours told us about the rescue that we thought it might be Padfoot.

“He’s now become a bit famous, there have been lots of jokes about him breaking into the prison, as you can imagine!”

Ms Driver Swales said that they will be microchipping the cat in case he decides to wander off again.