Freddy, everyone's favorite feline escape artist, has finally been captured.

After nearly two weeks of hiding among the plumbing beneath the bathtub in a Wheat Ridge rental home, Freddy was caught around 10 p.m. Tuesday.

It was neighbor Paul Slingsby's third trap door that did the trick, after the cat managed to slip through the first two during his evening prowls to eat and use the litter box.

"I thought it was going to be kind of easy at first, but he's too smart for that," Slingsby said. "I just rigged a bunch of strings, almost like a spider web, to the trigger of the trap door."

He added that he switched to a sliding door from a hinged version.

When his wife, Bea, went to check on the trap, "(Freddy) had been racing all around and scratching furiously, trying to get back through the trap door," Slingsby said.

The couple brought Freddy to live with them after an hour and a half of talking with him and calming him. Bea Slingsby was even able to pet the anxious animal.

"Our cat died about six weeks ago," Paul Slingsby said. "She was a real sweetheart, and we miss her."

Slingsby said Freddy will take a while to adjust to his new home, but he is confident the cat will be OK.

Tonya Payne, who owns the home where Freddy was hiding out, is relieved to have the last tenant out. Construction crews will begin work today to repair damage left by Freddy's previous owner, who had to leave the cat behind when Freddy wouldn't leave his hiding space.

Mostly, she is glad Freddy has a safe and loving home.

"The best part of the story is today is their 25th anniversary, and Freddy is their gift," she said. "He is safe and sound in their home in their den. Right now he's hiding under the recliner for a while."

Payne brought Freddy food, treats and a new bed from the Mouthfuls pet boutique she co-owns in Denver.