Socks the cat survives month in a metal box by licking walls

Published on Wednesday 17 June 2009 22:07

A CAT is recovering after surviving for over a month trapped in a 20ft industrial storage container by living off condensation.

Eleven-month-old Socks has now been reunited with its owners after an electrician found the emaciated pet inside the metal unit.

He survived 35 days with no food or drink by licking condensation from the sides of the unit in Arbroath, Angus.

Although dehydrated and half its ideal bodyweight, black cat Socks is expected to make a full recovery.

Socks went missing on 13 May and owner Michelle Maher, of Arbroath, reported him missing to the charity Cats Protection.

Ms Maher put up posters and searched the streets while charity volunteers kept a lookout.

The cat had found its way into the 20ft metal unit, similar to shipping containers, which was used to store equipment and supplies for electrical company D Adam & Company.

He was discovered 34 days later when electrician Murray Ruxton went to carry out a stock-check at the unit.

Mr Ruxton said: "I was just going through some stock and I saw something out the corner of my eye, shuffling about.

"When I realised it was a cat I knew straightaway he must be in trouble as none of us had visited the unit for at least four weeks.

"He was really friendly and came up to me but I realised how thin he was and was very concerned, so I rang Cats Protection, and a volunteer came straight out. I'm amazed by him and so thrilled he is doing well. I am planning to go and see him and say hello properly.

"None of the staff had spotted him sneaking into the container. We're all just thrilled he's okay."

Socks was taken to a vet and put on a drip. It was found that his ordeal had made his weight plummet to 2.1kg – far below his ideal weight of 4kg.

Ms Maher, of Arbroath, said: "I couldn't believe it, I still can't believe it – I am just overjoyed.

"I was desperate to find him and had been searching the streets and putting posters up. I had started to give up hope.

"When I went to the vets and saw him I just burst into tears. He was the same old Socks and was purring and rubbing up against me. I thought he would look very unwell, but he doesn't look too bad and has obviously been grooming his coat a lot.

"I am just so happy to have him back."

Cats Protection's Arbroath Branch is part of a network of 252 volunteer-run bases and 29 adoption centres that together rehome and reunite 55,000 cats every year.

Coordinator Sharyn Wood said: "We got Socks to a vet straight away, who said it is an absolute miracle he has survived.

"As soon as I saw him I realised he must be Michelle's missing cat, so I was thrilled to be able to ring her and say he's all right.

"There was no water in the unit and certainly no food, so we can only assume he has survived by licking condensation.

"Cats do have a habit of sneaking into all sorts of nooks and crannies, but I've never heard of anything like this before.

"Cats are remarkably resilient but to survive for over a month in those conditions is amazing. We are just so happy that Socks is all right, but I hope he will be a little more cautious in the future."