Feline ungrateful! Stranded cat gives lifeboat crewman the runaround as he tries to rescue it from rising river tide
- A black cat was stranded at the bottom of a 20ft wall with the Thames rising up
- A team from Chiswick RNLI tried to rescue the distressed animal from the bank
- The cat hissed and snarled at crewman Mark Pusey before trying to run away
A distressed black cat did not make life easy for a lifeboat crewman trying to save it from a rising River Thames tide as it hissed and snarled at him and tried to swim away.
A team from Chiswick RNLI, in west London, found the distressed cat stuck on a patch of shingle at the foot of a 20ft wall which was slowly being submerged by the rising tide.
In the footage, filmed at 2.22pm on June 7, the lifeboat pulls close to the frightened cat and crew member Mark Pusey climbs out of the boat with a towel.
A distressed black cat did not make life easy for a crew from Chiswick RNLI that tried to rescue it from a rapidly-submerging river bank on the Thames
The cat isn’t too pleased to see crew member Mark Pusey and hisses and snarls at him before trying to run up a 20ft wall
As he approaches the cat it begins hissing and snarling in distress.
Mr Pusey picks the cat up in the towel only for the tricky pet to wriggle free and try to swim away down the Thames, much to the hilarity of his crewmates.
The cat is picked up a second time after some gentle encouragement and this time sits nicely in Mr Pusey’s arms as he is carried back to shore by the lifeboat.
Onlookers cheer Mr Pusey’s success.
Other than being wet the cat was in good health and was released by the RNLI crew only for a nearby dog to chase after it in Tom and Jerry-style.
Mr Pusey tries to pick the cat up a second time but it is still not happy about being approached despite the rising water
It tries running away from the RNLI crew and begins swimming away from him and the boat
RNLI Helmsman James Anthony said: ‘The RNLI crews often rescue animals in order to prevent their owners from putting themselves in harm’s way.
‘On this occasion we were just in time. The little strip of foreshore was completely covered by the rapidly rising tide by the time the cat was brought ashore.’
Mark Pusey said ‘This incident had a good outcome but does show how easily the fast flowing tides can turn a benign environment into a very dangerous one.
‘If you see a person, or an animal, in trouble in the water please call 999 immediately and ask for the coastguard. The RNLI lifeboats on the Thames can be at any incident in minutes.’
Chiswick RNLI is the second busiest lifeboat station in the UK and Ireland and has dealt with 3,500 incidents, saving 1,750 people, since it was established in 2002.
In 2019 alone, RNLI volunteer crews helped 158 dogs, four whales, three sheep, three deer, two horses, two cows and a cat.
Mr Pusey eventually catches the stranded cat and carries it back onto the lifeboat where the team dries it off
When the team get back ashore they release the cat, who is in good health, only for a passing dog (right) to start chasing after it in Tom and Jerry-style