BERLIN - A FOUR-YEAR-OLD cat in Germany called Bonny has survived after being walled in beneath a bathtub for seven weeks, its owner said on Tuesday.

'It's a miracle,' said Ms Monika Hoppert, a 60-year-old widow from the western town of Stadthagen. 'I'm a strong believer, I think she must have had a guardian angel. I'm so happy.'

Bonny disappeared on June 19 while workmen were replacing pipes in the block of flats where Ms Hoppert lives. The black cat was last seen in a neighbouring apartment, where the cladding around a bathtub had been removed.

Just before tub was sealed up again, Bonny had probably crept underneath, Hoppert said.

By the time the neighbour heard Bonny's plaintive miaowing from behind the tiles on Aug 8, the cat's weight had dropped from 6 kg to 2 kg.

'I couldn't believe it. But when I got down there, I knew it was my cat because they all have their own voice,' said Ms Hoppert.

Bonny was so weak the vet recommended she be put down. But Ms Hoppert nursed her back to health with watered down kitten food.

'She's almost back to normal now. This morning was the first time she'd jumped onto my bed again,' Ms Hoppert said. -- REUTERS