Mowgli, a tuxedo cat, went missing from his home in Cornwall, UK, for six agonizing days. His owner, Michele Rose, and the family dog, Daisy, a springer spaniel, searched tirelessly but to no avail. However, on the sixth day, Daisy’s behavior took a strange turn—she became unusually determined, prompting Rose to follow her.
Daisy, normally calm, was “going berserk,” as Rose described it, following a scent trail that led them to an old mining shaft surrounded by barbed wire.
“There was no barking. Her nose was really close to the ground, and she was going at speed, just backward and forwards…relentlessly,” Rose recounted to the BBC.
When they reached the mineshaft, Rose heard faint meows. Unsure at first, she repeatedly called out, and to her amazement, it was indeed Mowgli, who had somehow survived a nearly 100-foot fall. Rose quickly called her son, Hamish, who was away at veterinary school, to share the incredible news. Hamish, knowing the strong bond between Daisy and Mowgli, wasn’t surprised that the dog had found the cat.
“Daisy and Mowgli are pretty good mates, so she could probably tell he was down there,” Hamish said.
A Team Organizes to Rescue Mowgli
Although Rose was tempted to climb around the barbed wire to rescue Mowgli, she wisely decided to call for professional help. Later that day, she contacted the RSPCA and Cornwall Fire and Rescue. A team of experts was needed to determine how to safely navigate the dangerous mineshaft.
That night was agonizing. Rose worried whether Mowgli would survive until morning. An officer reassured her that cats are incredibly resilient and that Mowgli would likely hunker down for the night.
“The rescue officer was really reassuring. He said, ‘Cats are amazing. If any animal’s going to survive, it’ll be a cat…He’ll probably just hunker down for the night and go to sleep,’” Rose told the BBC.
With Daisy by her side, Rose anxiously waited until first light before heading back to the mineshaft. When they arrived, she called out and was relieved to hear Mowgli meow back.
A team of eight firefighters began the rescue operation, using ropes and a basket to reach Mowgli. The first firefighter to descend, André, a cat lover himself, found Mowgli “really pleased to be rescued.” The relieved cat went “straight into his arms and directly into the basket.”
Once safely on the ground, Mowgli was greeted by his sibling, Baloo, and was quickly taken to the vet. Astonishingly, after such an ordeal, Mowgli was “absolutely fine.”
“He was brought straight into us for a thorough check over. Remarkably, Mowgli was completely unscathed and was extremely happy to be back with his owner! What a lucky cat!! And what a clever dog Daisy is!” shared Calweton Veterinary Group.
Back home, Mowgli and Daisy were rewarded with chicken, treats, and plenty of cuddles. Rose, who had adopted the two tuxedo kittens in December 2022, a year after bringing Daisy home as a puppy, was overjoyed by the outcome.
“Daisy was already a year old when the kittens arrived, and they have all been inseparable ever since. She is quite matriarchal and puts up with them; they love her and she’s very protective of them,” Rose told the BBC.
A Heroic Rescue
Rose expressed her gratitude to the hero of the day, André, along with the animal rescue officers, the crew, and the RSPCA. But most of all, she thanked Daisy, the dog who saved her feline sibling.
“Daisy is the dog that can do no wrong. She is the hero of the day for me,” Rose said. “Without Daisy doing that, [Mowgli] could still be down there, for sure. She was persistent in making me follow her.”
“If Daisy wasn’t the favorite child already, she definitely is now,” added Mr. Rose.
