Cat rescued from St Paul's Cathedral
Paula the Burmese cat is now safe and sound
- Published
A cat has been rescued from one of the most famous landmarks in London - St Paul's Cathedral.
The grey, female Burmese cat fell down a 4.5m shaft down into the basement of the church, and was stuck there for four hours - understandably, people were paw-sitively worried for her!
Luckily, she wasn't hurt, and was eventually rescued by an officer from the RSPCA, the charity that works to protect animals in the UK.
Now, the kitty has been given a new name - Paula, after where she was found, although no word yet on whether or not she'll achieve saintly status.
St Paul's Cathedral was built in the 1600s
What happened?
A teenager was playing in the cathedral's churchyard, when she spotted the cat trapped in the basement.
She reported it to the RSPCA and told officers she had seen Paula quickly running before disappearing again.
Sidonie Smith, an RSPCA animal rescue officer, arrived on the scene with a torch and a carrier before heading into the 349-year-old cathedral's basement, which hasn't been used for 25 years.
Security let the RSPCA into the basement, which hasn't been accessed for 25 years
In the pitch black, Sidonie walked down a steep and narrow staircase and found Paula in a chamber through lots of corridors.
She said Paula was unhurt: "Fortunately, the cat had fallen on to a bed of leaves and she was largely unscathed. She'd shot through the gap above and dropped down into the basement.
"She was very nervous... no doubt through the shock of falling from height, and I had to grasp hold of her.
"She had a slight graze on her chin, but, happily, nothing was broken and she was able to move around."
The RSPCA have now put posters around St Paul's in the hope of finding her owner.
Paula was treated at an RSPCA animal hospital and is being looked after until her owner can be found.
This is what the inside of the basement looked like
St Paul's Cathedral fact file
The cathedral's dome is a very famous part of the London skyline
St Paul’s Cathedral opened on 2 December 1697
It's an Anglican church
The architect who designed it, Sir Christopher Wren, was the first person to be buried there after he died
Its addition to the London skyline was a major part of the reconstruction of the capital after the Great Fire of London in 1666