Rail workers drench woman’s pet cat with hydraulic fluid

BUNGLING workers are under fire after they drenched a woman’s backyard in hydraulic fluid — and her beloved cat came off the worst.

RAIL workers have accidentally sprayed hydraulic fluid on a cat.

Catherine Pendelich, whose property backs onto the sky rail tracks, was shocked when she got a call from Level Crossing Removal Authority workers informing her of an “incident” at her house.

Mrs Pendelich arrived at her in Murrumbeena home to discover the hydraulic fluid sprayed across her backyard, on the deck, plants and pergola.

“It looks like it has rained oil all over the back of the house,” she said.

Catherine Pendelich was shocked to find her cat Puss covered in hydraulic fluid. Picture: Twitter

Mrs Pendelich had to make several frantic calls to vets before establishing her cat was not in danger. Picture: Twitter

The house’s backyard and pergola also got a spray from neighbouring sky rail works.

She was horrified when her maine coon cat Puss came home later that evening covered in the fluid.

“It was on her underbelly, it was matted and oily underneath and she had been licking it off.”

“I asked (the authority) about the fluid — they couldn’t tell me what it was at the time, but they assured me it’s non-toxic.”

Mrs Pendelich said the cat had probably been sunning herself and lying on her back in her favourite spot on the table when the fluid was sprayed.

After frantic calls to various vets, Mrs Pendelich gave the cat a bath and cleaned it with eco-friendly dishwashing liquid.

Mrs Pendelich said the workers who attended her house were very supportive and assured her they would clean or replace the damaged outdoor chairs and pergola.

So @CPendelich comes home to find #Skyrail viaduct behind home & hydraulic fluid sprayed from @levelcrossings #StraddleCarrier #SpringSt pic.twitter.com/VuVJoASuYk

— Lernaean Hydra (@NoSkyrail2) October 17, 2017

Project director Brett Summers confirmed the incident and apologised for the “inconvenience”.

He explained that a small amount of fluid from the straddle carrier was “emitted” into the rear courtyard.

He said they were undertaking a review to determine the cause of the spray.

“We have taken action to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” Mr Summers said.

He said alternative accommodation had been offered to the resident.

It’s the latest in a string of mishaps along the sky rail construction.

A worker dropped a spanner about 20m onto a car parked in a driveway below during night works on September 27.

Minor damage was caused to the car.

A few days later a small bolt fell from a substantial height at the Murrumbeena construction site.

Mr Summers said they were working with our staff to reinforce and emphasise existing safety procedures while also introducing some additional precautionary measures.

Originally published as Rail workers drench woman’s pet cat with hydraulic fluid