Abito the cat will need to count his nine lives after being rescued by a crew of specialist firefighters.

Abito became stuck on an external ledge of his apartment on Sunday afternoon, to the great distress of his owners.

Fire and Rescue NSW shared footage of the incredible 18th floor rescue – and the emotional reunion.

Incident controller Jock Gilmore told Jim Wilson the building was so tall, it required a call to a specialist team further afield in Liverpool.

“The cat had actually traversed a 150mm-wide ledge … to a side of the building that was completely inaccessible by balconies or windows.

“We used a 100-metre line connected to a 50-metre line in order to cover the distance safely … this descent was quite technical.”

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Abito and his owners reunited