A stray cat balanced along a narrow roof beam to steal dried fish.

The tabby feline scaled the unfinished part of a house where there were sun-dried rabbitfish pinned on a hanger in Tarlac, the Philippines.

Footage shows the moggy carefully tiptoeing along the beam before reaching out with its paw in a bid to snatch a fish.

However, the hanger was out of reach, leaving the determined feline stretching and swiping in vain.

Resident Euna Slayy said: 'We were in our grandfather's house when we saw the cat trying to steal fish.'

The cat tried to cross to the other beam and take the hanging fish from there, but it almost slipped.

The moggy clung for its life and made one last attempt to grab a fish before eventually giving up on March 25.