What started as a routine day at a Liverpool wholesale company quickly turned into a rescue mission no one saw coming.
Employees at Makro were going about their business when they heard strange, desperate cries coming from their cardboard compactor.
The sound was faint — but unmistakable. Tiny meows were coming from deep inside the container. Something — or someone — was in trouble.
Acting quickly, the staff contacted the RSPCA for help. Inspector Vicki Brooks arrived on the scene and began searching.
That’s when she spotted it: a small hole in the back of the tightly packed shipping container, just big enough for a pair of frightened eyes to peer through.
A mother cat was trapped inside, and somewhere behind her, her kitten’s tiny voice still called out.
It soon became clear that the mama cat had crawled into the container — likely to find a safe place to give birth — and had gotten stuck as layer after layer of cardboard was added.
With no food, no water, and barely any space to breathe, the pair had been trapped for days.
What followed was a long, difficult, and delicate rescue. Makro employees disassembled the machine, and with Brooks by their side, they dug through mountains of tightly packed cardboard, working hour after hour to reach the mother and her baby.
“It was the most extraordinary rescue I’ve taken part in during my 21 years with the RSPCA,” Brooks said. “There was no space for them to move, the container was packed up to the ceiling, and the heat was unbearable. That mother hadn’t eaten in days, yet she was still doing everything she could to care for her kitten. It’s a miracle they survived.”
As they worked, rescuers fed the mama cat through the hole to keep her going. When night fell, they reluctantly paused the search, planning to resume in the morning.
But by the time they returned, something unexpected had happened — the mother had managed to escape through the progress they’d made. Her kitten, however, was still stuck inside.
Determined to finish what they’d started, the team continued the rescue. Finally, after careful maneuvering and hours of effort, they pulled the kitten — now named Biff — from the wreckage.
His mom was gone, but Biff was safe.
Biff is now recovering in RSPCA care alongside two other orphaned kittens, Chip and Kipper. He’s thriving, despite the ordeal, thanks to his brave cries for help — and the compassionate people who answered them.
“We’re still trying to find his mother,” said Inspector Joanne Macdonald, who joined the rescue on the second day. “We’re working with another local charity to try to safely trap her.”
For now, Biff is surrounded by warmth, love, and all the care he needs.
To support Biff, his friends, and future rescues like his, you can donate to the RSPCA here.
