Woman follows desperate midnight cries to find kitten trapped inside a streetlight.
Sharjah: The familiar greeting welcoming visitors to the emirate — “Smile, you’re in Sharjah” — appears to extend beyond humans.
A frightened kitten trapped inside a streetlight pole has become the latest recipient of Sharjah’s compassion, after a woman refused to ignore its cries and an electricity team stepped in to save it.
What started as an ordinary drive turned into a rescue mission when Sharjah-based content creator Fatima Al Shuweihi heard a cat meowing desperately somewhere along the road.
With her car windows open, she initially struggled to pinpoint the source of the sound. She pulled over and searched the area, eventually discovering that a small white kitten was trapped inside a streetlight pole.
Al Shuweihi first tried to coax the animal out with food, but the frightened kitten remained inside.
Realising that the rescue involved electrical infrastructure, she decided to seek professional help rather than attempt to open the pole herself.
She contacted the Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority (SEWA), and its workers arrived soon afterwards.
The team carefully dug into the sand around the base of the pole, creating an opening through which they could reach the trapped animal.
Workers also played recordings of cats meowing in an effort to coax the kitten out.
After several attempts, the frightened animal finally emerged, bringing the rescue operation to a successful end.
A video shared on social media captured the operation, showing the workers carefully helping the kitten to safety. In the footage, Al Shuweihi can later be seen cradling the little white cat in her arms.
The video drew attention online, highlighting how residents and public service workers went out of their way to help an animal in distress.
Al Shuweihi thanked the SEWA workers for their prompt response, kindness and determination to save the kitten, which she affectionately called her new friend.
Another rescue near Sharjah Airport
This was not the first time a motorist in Sharjah had gone to extraordinary lengths to save a stranded cat.
In June, a woman driving near Sharjah International Airport noticed what appeared to be an object on the side of a bridge.
Something about it caught her attention, prompting her to park and walk back to take a closer look.
She discovered a small kitten struggling in temperatures of around 38°C.
Frightened and exhausted by the heat, the animal initially ran away when she tried to approach it.
But the woman did not give up. She spent around 20 minutes pursuing the kitten under the scorching sun before finally managing to pick it up and bring it to safety.
She immediately turned on her car’s air conditioning, gave the dehydrated animal some water and offered it food.
The kitten gradually regained its composure and became more comfortable. The woman then took it home to continue caring for it.
The incident was captured in a video shared by animal rescue account Ty’s Rescues & Friends and also attracted widespread attention on social media.
