This pet 'warden' cat cornered a rat snake hiding under a refrigerator while waiting for rescuers to catch the reptile in Thailand.

The male black-and-white moggie kept a watchful eye on the serpent that had slithered into the grocery store in Nakhon Si Thammarat on September 20.

It blocked off the snake's escape routes, allowing volunteers to easily locate the creature.

Using a snake-catching pole, the officers fished out the one-metre-long copperhead racer - also known as a copperhead rat snake - from beneath the electric appliance. The animal was sealed inside a sack and later released into the forest.

Cat owner Manat Tongkueng, 41, said: 'I found my cat staring and hissing at the refrigerator. At first, I thought it was just a toad or a lizard so I didn't pay it much mind.

'I was so shocked when I bent down and found a big black snake down there, so I called the rescuers for help.'