No one had been down there in over 25 years.
After school, a young girl was playing in the yard of St. Paul’s Cathedral, a renowned church in London, when she spotted a stray cat exploring the area. The cat eventually disappeared under a concrete slab, prompting the girl to worry about its safety.
Concerned for the cat, the girl contacted the RSPCA, and animal rescue officer Sidonie Smith responded. Although the church was closed for the day, Smith coordinated with security to search for the cat.
“When I spoke to security about gaining access, it turned out it was an opening down to an old storage basement that apparently no one has used a key to get down to for 25 years,” Smith revealed in a press release.
Venturing into the unexplored basement of a 300-year-old church was eerie, but Smith was determined to rescue the cat.
“There were some steep, narrow stairs down and it was pitch black where you entered a large chamber, which had lots of corridors attached to it at higher levels,” Smith recounted.
Descending into the basement felt like a scene from “National Treasure.” Despite her nervousness, Smith’s search didn’t take long. The equally scared cat hadn’t strayed far. “Fortunately, the cat had fallen onto a bed of leaves and she was largely unscathed,” Smith said. “She’d shot through the gap above and dropped down into the basement. She was very nervous and frightened, no doubt through the shock of falling from height, and I had to grasp hold of her.”
Covered in fleas and sporting a scratch on her chin, the cat was otherwise fine. Smith managed to safely retrieve her, and they left the creepy basement together.
The cat, named Paula after her discovery location, had a microchip. However, her former owner claimed to have sold her four years ago. Smith put up lost and found posters around the churchyard just in case, but the plan is to find Paula a loving forever home once she’s healed.
Paula spent four hours in the basement and is now ready for a happier, calmer life. The RSPCA also plans to work with the Diocese of London, which manages St. Paul’s Cathedral, to ensure the church grounds are safer for any animals passing through.