Lucky cat Skittles survives ordeal at Blackheath supermarket

The young male cat lived to see another day thanks to a kind-hearted boiler repair man and caring staff at Sainsbury's on Halesowen Street.

He was discovered, dirty, hungry and dehydrated, sitting on a metal plate in a boiler room which would have heated up to 600 degrees.

Skittles was fed by staff at Sainsbury's in Blackheath (Image: Animal House Rescue)

Lin Reeves of The Animal House Rescue, which has taken in Skittles, who is being treated at YourVets at Smethwick, said: "Skittles is a very lucky cat!

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"He had crawled into the Sainsbury's store boiler room through a small hole probably to keep warm and then climbed onto the pipework of the boiler.

"We have no idea how long he was in there, but he is really skinny.

"The repair man had reignited the boiler after the repair before spotting Skittles sitting on a metal plate.

"This amazing man then went above and beyond, removing bits safely to get Skittles out before the plate got to 600 degrees.

"He had to work fast as it only takes a short while for the boiler to reach 800 degrees and Skittles would have not made it out."

Lin said Skittles was very dehydrated and is on a drip, but is eating and was fed by Sainsbury's staff, who fussed him and gave him his name.

He is not microchipped, but has been added to a cat alert system in a bid to find any owner.

He will go into foster care and if no owner is found he will be neutered and found a loving new home.

Skittles was very thin - it's not known how long he had been stuck (Image: Animal House Rescue)

Lin said: "I can't bear to think what would have happened if the boiler repair man hadn't been so conscientious.

"The staff at the store were amazing - so kind.

"He picked the right store to get stuck in."

Staff at Sainsbury's in Blackheath named Skittles (Image: Google)