A heartwarming story of survival took place in Puglia this year, when a cat found himself trapped in a cave in Italy.
Stuck for two days with no way to escape, his desperate owners feared for his life.
The misfortune of Maneki Neko
It was thanks to the efforts of mountain rescue team Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico that Maneki Neko now finds himself back in the loving arms of his family.
They had taken him on a trip with them to Puglia, and discovered he was missing only a few days after arrival.
An urgent alert
The situation became urgent when they discovered Maneki Neko stuck in a cave that was 5 metres deep, filled with water. The poor cat was frantically meowing, but there was no way he could get out by himself.
The rescue team managed to lower themselves 7 metres into the cave, bringing Maneki Neko to safety.
His owner, Chiara Esposto, described the team as "real heroes". Neko is safe and sound once more, and they will be keeping a very close eye on him on all future adventures.
