Cat turns on vacuum, causes emergency alert

[August 11, 2010]  BERLIN (AP) -- A cat home alone in Germany apparently turned on the vacuum cleaner, frightened itself half to death and wound up being attended to by emergency services.

Police in the Bavarian city of Bayreuth said a neighbor heard the cat's cries -- not to mention a vacuum left running for hours -- and feared there'd been a terrible accident.

The fire service sped to the scene Monday evening, but found only the cat and the machine.

A police statement Tuesday said the emergency call wasn't entirely in vain, though, because "at least the cat could be calmed down."

[Associated Press]

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