Neighbors and animal control spent those days trying to rescue the trapped cat but didn't have any luck.
[Ads /]
New Jersey-based animal rescue volunteers Marcia Sandford Fishkind and Eileen DiNicola reached out to their friend John DeBacker with hopes for a Christmas miracle.
Messages about the grey tabby flooded DeBacker's phone, and on Christmas Day, he spotted the distressed cat in Irvington, New Jersey.
He left his family during the holiday in order to go save the cat.
[Ads /]
A Facebook video shows Debacker reaching for the cat in a cramped space outside where he whisked the animal into a container and pulled the jar off its head.
He said he always advises people to crush their cans so animals can't get stuck while searching for food.
Since then, the cat has been safe and in the care of a volunteer.
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* More New Jersey news
* Send us a news tip
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
* Follow us on YouTube