Cleo the cat rescued after five days underground hiding from Storm Éowyn

Cleo had been missing from her home in Dundee for four weeks when the storm swept in on January 24, leaving the cat seeking out a safe place for shelter.

She crawled underground, finding shelter under a block of flats as winds of up to 80mph hit the city.

READ MORE: SSPCA at 185 - The £63,000-a-day challenge as staff left ‘crying’ over animals in need

The 15-year-old Bengal became trapped under the building in Craigard Road and, without food or water, ran out of energy to find her way out.

The SSPCA was called after residents heard Cleo’s cries from below the building.

Animal Rescue Officers Stephanie Smillie and Lucy Rattray discovered the stressed-out puss stuck five feet underground.

Ms Smillie said: “Cleo had been there for over five days with no access to food or water, so we knew we had to do everything in our power to get her out safely.

“After several attempts to lure Cleo out with food, planks of wood, and rope, we quickly realised she didn’t have enough energy to climb out on her own. “

A team from Scottish Fire and Rescue Service were called in to assist, with Ms Smillie describing them as “incredible” as they worked to rescue Cleo.

Ms Smillie added: “After carefully tearing up some floorboards, they discovered a tiny trap door leading into the foundations from the building’s kitchen.

“With their help, we were finally able to reach Cleo and free her.

“She was exhausted, but after lots of cuddles, a good meal, and a big drink of water, she was doing much better.”

Cleo was scanned for a microchip - with the team then running into its next challenge when the cat was registered to an old address in England.

Ms Smillie added: “But we weren’t ready to give up. Thanks to the power of social media, we managed to track down Cleo’s owner, who turned out to live just a few streets away.

“This is a rescue mission we’ll never forget.”

Cleo’s owner, Arlene Connor, said she was “overjoyed” to get the call that her cat was safe.

Ms Connor said: “Cleo had been missing for four weeks and with the weather being so cold, I feared for the worst.

“We had posted missing appeals for Cleo on social media and were overjoyed to receive the phone call that she had been found. When she first came home, she was always by my side and needed extra reassurance but she’s now getting better and is eating and drinking well.

“I’m taking her to the vets for a check-up and whilst there’s a long way to go until Cleo’s back to normal, I’m just so glad to have her home.”

Last year, the SSPCA responded to more than 76,000 reports of animals in need.

In December, Kirsteen Campbell, chief executive of the charity, said that the work of the charity now costs around £23million a year - or £63,000 a day. It is financed solely by fundraising and receives no government support.