Utility crew won't climb for kitten, so firefighters in Cuba turn themselves into a ladder

A stranded kitten in Matanzas, Cuba, was brought to safety by firefighters who climbed on one another to reach it.

Here's what to know

Electric company workers declined to climb the power pole where the animal was trapped. With no ladder or specialized rescue gear available, the firefighters formed a human ladder.

Outside San Luis's old garden, the kitten had taken refuge on a power pole while fleeing a dog. It stayed there from the afternoon until 7:30 p.m., according to CiberCuba.

Madeleine, a user identified in CiberCuba's report, had already praised the crew before The Palace of Pets shared its account on Facebook. The page's post commended the firefighters' work rescuing animals.

"Firefighters were called, and they arrived immediately. They contacted the electric company since they are the ones equipped for these rescues. The company's truck arrived almost at night, but the firefighters never left the site. The company representatives stated that they didn't have to climb a pole for a cat," The Palace of Pets reported on Facebook, as quoted by CiberCuba.

More background

Reports cited by CiberCuba show deteriorated hoses and broken boots, documenting equipment shortages among Cuban firefighters.

According to the outlet, a November 2025 academic study examined Santiago de Cuba's fire department, where just 28% of personnel considered themselves adequately equipped. The study found personal alert devices and thermal cameras among the basic tools that were unavailable.

What's being done?

The kitten made it safely down thanks to the firefighters' human ladder, The Palace of Pets said. They had parked their truck beside the pole.

Faustino Pérez Hospital was the site of another Matanzas cat rescue, according to CiberCuba. Crews freed the animal from a tube in March 2023 after it had spent three days trapped inside.

Firefighters in Sancti Spíritus and Guantánamo have also helped cats in distress. In Mayabeque, crews rescued a cat caught in mesh in November 2025.

Where can I learn more?

Fire crews elsewhere have also helped cats stuck in hard-to-reach places. 

• In California, firefighters freed a kitten trapped in a cabinet as rescue footage spread.

• West Virginia firefighters cut a kitten from a wall, then adopted her as their firehouse cat.

• In Arizona, firefighters rescued a kitten from an auto shop wall, and the owners kept her.

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