Kitten opens cage door, jumps out: Video from Florida animal shelter

A playful kitten mysteriously escaped until a shelter worker grabbed a camera.

It turns out that Firecracker is a talented escape artist. Video from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Florida shows the cat in a cage reaching out to unlock the barrier. He can then be seen jumping to the shelter floor.

“Firecracker is so ready to go to his special home that he keeps escaping from his enclosure,” the Lakeland animal organization wrote on Facebook on July 19.

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Now the “smart kitty” has a home of his own. A family saw his social media post and decided to adopt him, COO Lani Kurtz told McClatchy News in a phone interview.

Firecracker’s online fame also helped him get noticed at the shelter. So when he got a new owner, staffers cheered and became “excited that he had found his forever home,” spokesperson Randa Richter said in the interview.

Firecracker was given a second chance after he and three of his siblings were found as strays. When they arrived at the SPCA, they were underweight and only a few weeks old.

After spending some time in foster care, the siblings were put up for adoption. Firecracker made a name for himself while waiting in the shelter.

“We have found him on our floors multiple times today after he DEFINITELY closed and locked his door,” the shelter wrote in its Facebook post. “Eventually one of our staff members was able to capture the escape on film.”

Besides showing off his Houdini-esque antics, Firecracker also became known for his friendliness.

“He’s a typical kitten,” Richter said. “He’s super playful, sweet, and loves other cats. We’re happy to hear he’s found his forever home so he can grow up with a family and get lots of love.”

Lakeland is located approximately 35 miles east of Tampa.