Cat now recovered from alcohol poisoning after seven-week boozing session in wine cellar

When pet cat Aljosha disappeared from his home in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, for seven weeks, his owner feared the worst. But Aljosha hadn't gone far – he'd been holed up in a neighbour's wine cellar. Aljosha needed urgent medical attention after his mammoth drinking session.



In late July, the six-year-old Turkish Angora went out on his daily stroll round the town of Würselen, near Aachen. "He would always come home at midday," owner Claudia von Büren said. But on that day, Aljosha didn't come back. The next day brought no sign of Aljosha. Asking neighbours if they'd seen him, von Büren also handed round 150 flyers with Aljosha's picture – but to no avail.

Seven long weeks later, the cat reappeared – looking a little worse for wear. After disappearing from home, Aljosha had found his way into the wine cellar of a house a few doors down. In seven weeks, he had managed to smash three bottles – a Mosel Saar Ruwer worth €20, a dry Alfer Burggraf (€5) and a 2003 Mosel Riesling (€15). After licking up the wine, Aljosha had a dangerous level of alcohol in his system.



"He was more dead than alive when I picked him up," said von Büren. "We went to the vets straight away, where they diagnosed him with alcohol poisoning." Aljosha was on a drip for three days before being allowed home. He has now recovered from his hangover, known in German, ironically, as a "Kater" (tom-cat). But there's just one small problem: Aljosha now refuses to drink water, apparently out of fear that it's yet more white wine.