Cat with paw trapped in sewer grate rescued by firefighters, veterinary staff

Rescue workers and veterinary staff came together to help save a kitten whose paw had become trapped in a sewer grate.

The Broward Sheriff's Office Department of Fire Rescue responded when a homeowner called after seeing the trapped kitten. The small cat could be seen licking its front paw, trying to loosen it from the sewer cover.

"Whether a lizard or something ran down that little hole and caught the cat's curiosity, we don't know," Mike Jachles, public information officer for the sheriff's office, told ABC News. "We figure he might have been there for as long as 12 hours."

Firefighters tried to free the cat but were unsuccessful. They transported the animal to VCA Imperial Point Animal Hospital in Ft. Lauderdale, where hospital staff helped the firefighters free the animal by using saws.

The kitten, nicknamed "Captain" by the firefighters, suffered no broken bones and is doing well. They are still determining if the cat has a home, but one firefighter expressed interest in adopting the cat.