The charity and fire service had to act quickly when a cat gave birth in the gutter of a conservatory in Shard End

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A lucky cat came within a whisker of drowning after giving birth in the guttering of a conservatory. The homeowners heard a strange noise coming from outside their bedroom window at their house on Bucklands End Lane, Shard End, on Tuesday, April 12.

When they went to investigate, they found a stray cat struggling to give birth in the guttering. They managed to bring two kittens to safety and massaged them to keep them warm before calling the RSPCA.

With heavy rain forecast, a crew from Ward End rescued the three-year-old white-and-tabby feline and three more kittens. The mother, nicknamed Storm, and her kittens - Rain, Thunder, Misty, Foggy and Hail - are now being cared for at the RSPCA Newbrook Farm Animal Centre.

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Inspector Adam Bailey said: “The mum cat had decided to give birth to her five kittens in the conservatory guttering of the property and with heavy rain due to set in we knew we had to get to them fast! Alongside fire and rescue, I managed to get up onto the roof of the conservatory and slowly but surely contain the mother using a reach and rescue pole and then pick up each kitten and bring them to safety.

“The cat is called Storm and was microchipped but it appears the details are out-of-date as we have been unable to get hold of an owner.”

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