It's not the most momentous story in the world - but it may be one of the loveliest.
For some months, Tania Bailey had been feeding a stray cat in the tyre warehouse where she works. But suddenly the animal (which she had named Pepper) failed to turn up.
It had been above a ceiling in the Tyreright store in Fyshwick before it suddenly vanished.
She was deeply saddened. Pepper and Tania had developed a rapport - or so Tania thought.
She hunted high and low for her new feline friend.
In the end, she discovered Pepper in another part of the large vault of a store. With Pepper was a litter of five kittens. The mother had moved her family because she feared that the human was a threat.
And then the mother did it again, so starting a second hunt.
Again, the family of cats were found, this time so high up near the roof that the fire brigade had to be called. The Canberra Street Cat Alliance was also involved in the rescue.
The ACT Emergency Services Agency said: "Knowing that mumma cat and her tiny babies are sleeping soundly tonight is the purrrfect ending."
The cat rescue was followed shortly afterwards by the rescue of a lizard from a fire.
With a controversial over-reliance on cheap puns, the Emergency Services said, "A pet lizard has had a scaly escape after its enclosure caught fire in the early hours of this morning.
"Reptilian Rescuers, better known as ACT Fire and Rescue responded to the fire alarm at Marist College and arrived to find a heavily smoke-logged building.
"Crews worked flat out like a lizard to locate the source of the fire and quickly extinguish the blaze.
"The lizard was frilled to be rescued and posed for a quick photo with the Father of Dragons."
The whereabouts of the lizard (which is believed to be called Django) is not known.
The cat and kittens are in a nice cozy cat cage in the warmth of the tyre shop.
Pepper had kept moving to avoid humans, according to Vanessa Parton of the Canberra Street Cat Alliance. "The reason she kept moving her babies was because she felt threatened," Ms Parton said.
The cat chose a high roof cavity for the ultimate family security, she said - though not security from the ingenious fire brigade.
The five rescued kittens are currently small balls of fluff living off their mother's milk.
Once they have weaned, they will be taken from their mother.
"We'll take the kittens into our foster care program," Ms Parton said.
They will be desexed and then found good homes.
In time, wild street cats will become domesticated cats, used to humans.
Two mysteries remain: what was the cost of the animal rescues to the tax payer and were they worth it?
And why do animal stories always generate the most outrageous impurrfect puns?
.jpg?w=600)
