A catfish was saved after swallowing a baseball cap and floating around with it in its stomach for four days.

The 3ft-long redtail was in a pond at a Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand, when a young boy leaned over the water to feed the ornamental fish.

However, his white Mickey Mouse Disney hat slipped into the water and the huge fish gulped it down.

The mother and her two-year-old son left the scene but returned a few days later on November 6 and noticed the sick fish. She then confessed to monks about the incident.

''I didn't think there would be a problem because it's just a hat but when I returned I saw the fish was unwell so I felt bad,'' the mother said.

Vets from the Aquatic Animal Disease Research Centre arrived at the temple to check the fish

The centre's director Nantarika Chansue observed the creature swimming sluggishly around the pond before stroking its bulging stomach.

Nantarika said she felt the shape of the cap before putting her hand into the fish's mouth to pull it out.

She said: "The red-tailed catfish are carnivorous so they are quite violent. I had to use an arm protector while pulling the cap out. After the process, the catfish immediately recovered."

Nantarika reached into the catfish's mouth and held on the edge of the hat and dragged the object out through its mouth.

The catfish was given a prescription of vitamin supplements and it was able to regain health after a few days.

The animal centre director added: "I want everybody to be cautious when visiting a fishpond or a turtle pond as any foreign object that gets eaten by the creature can cause their lives."