Firemen, RSPCA workers and bin operators were left red-faced after a 12-hour operation to save a ‘pregnant cat’ from a recycling bin, only to find a squeaky cuddly toy.

The sorry episode occurred after heavily pregnant cat “Puss Puss” went missing in the Welsh village of Moelfre, Anglesey. High pitched noises were heard coming from a clothes recycling bin and villagers raced to help what they thought might be a miserable mog in labour.

Despite wrestling with the heavy lock until nearly midnight, the clasp had been tampered with and authorities as well as bin operators Tyddyn Môn were called in.

A grinder was used in an attempt to open the bin but as it was it unsuccessful villagers were forced to leave, returning in the morning to stuff food into the bin for “Puss Puss.”

The bin was then transported 18 miles to Llanrhyddlad to steel company K Owen who used their specialist engineering skills to unlock it.

“Once we got into the bin we heard the meow again, it sounded just like a cat and we all started to carefully search the bags." the bin's owner Kelvin Owen told the Daily Post.

“Then I found a bag of toys and picked out a toy cat, I said ‘it couldn’t be this could it’, it wasn’t making any noise and I asked if I could cut it open to investigate. As I held it it went off, meow, meow, mystery solved! The lads were in stitches, it was such a laugh.”

Jasmine Hazelhurst, from Anglesey Pets – part of the Free to a Good Home Anglesey site – told The Daily Post: “I did feel embarrassed when they pulled out the stuffed cat.

“But I am also proud at the way everyone rallied around to save the ‘cat’."

"Puss Puss" the heavily pregnant cat originally thought to be in the bin is still missing: anyone with information is urged to contact Facebook site Freetoagoodhome Anglesey.