KUALA LUMPUR: A group of young men received praise for their daring rescue of cats trapped in cages at a house affected by floods.
In a TikTok video shared by @ffjkento, the men from Tumpat, Kelantan are seen navigating through floodwaters on motorcycles before switching to a boat.
Their mission: to save several cats stranded in cages and wandering on the upper windows of a partially submerged home.
Braving waist-deep water, the men opened the roofs of cages to free the trapped cats, carefully placing them onto the boat. They also rescued cats clinging to window rods and the roof, even using wooden planks to pry open a nearly submerged cage to reach the animals inside.
The cats are seen shivering as the men worked tirelessly to bring them to safety, all while getting soaked themselves.
The caption reveals that the homeowner is a cousin of one of the rescuers, who was unable to return home due to his commitments as a firefighter assisting those affected by the floods. In his absence, these friends took it upon themselves to rescue the animals.
Despite their dire condition — hungry and cold — the caption notes that all the cats survived, with one cage almost completely submerged in water.
The post urges pet owners to remember their responsibilities to their animals and not to leave them behind.
The rescue video has garnered over 500,000 views and 55,000 likes, moving netizens who expressed their gratitude for the men's dedication and the fortunate survival of the cats.
User @mawardesa__ thanked the rescuers for "risking their lives and safety to help the small creatures," while @manipahmahmood emphasised that not only humans should be rescued, but also cats.
@mada_kafe, a devoted cat lover, expressed her sadness at seeing the soaked and hungry cats left in their cages, hoping that in the future, owners will remember to bring their pets when escaping a flood.