The small black cat found itself in the precarious position inside a drain in Newhaven St at Liberton, Dunedin, sparking an emergency response yesterday morning.
Firefighters mounted a rescue operation to liberate the trapped feline, using pneumatic spreaders and pry bars to lift the iron grille.
The cat was seen bounding off into nearby bushes the moment it saw its shot at freedom.
A contractor who arrived to do some work in the street had noticed the cat and dallied 111 about 8.20am yesterday, a Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson said.
Firefighters from Willowbank Fire Station attended the call, using some of their rescue equipment to lift the grate.
"At which point the cat scampered away to freedom."
Extricating small animals from precarious positions was a fairly common task for firefighters, the spokesperson said.
Other recent examples included Canterbury fox terrier Myrtle who got stuck after going down a rabbit hole, Kurow kelpie Diesel getting stuck down a cliff and a Hamilton cat "who found itself too far up a tree".
