OCFA rescues senior cat stuck under family fireplace

A sly senior feline who wedged itself into a brick-sized hole beneath a Seal Beach home’s fireplace was rescued by a team of Orange County Fire Authority personnel.

Franny, a senior cat around 9 to 11 years old, “decided to play a game of hide-and-seek” shortly after being adopted by its new family, OCFA said. After the cat got into the hole, its owners were unable to help her out, so they called firefighters.

Engine 44 responded to the scene and were able to safely get the cat out after several careful attempts.

“We’re happy to report Franny is doing well and settling back in at home, hopefully staying out of tight spaces moving forward.

OCFA took Franny’s rescue operation as opportunity to remind the public that Animal Control can be contacted during urgent matters so appropriate resources can be deployed.

🐾 A Purr-fect Rescue in Seal Beach 🐾

A Seal Beach family’s happy day of rescuing a senior cat yesterday took an unexpected turn when “Franny,” estimated to be 9–11 years old, decided to play a game of hide-and-seek, crawling into a hole about the size of a brick beneath the >> pic.twitter.com/sRYpQhM7eG

— OCFA (@OCFireAuthority) January 31, 2026