Cat Rescue Guy

It is not often that food works to motivate a scared cat in a tree to come to me, but when it does, it can be a life-saver for both me and the cat. Normally, a scared cat, no matter how long he has been in the tree or how hungry he might be, has no interest in food at all. What's most important to the cat at that moment is to escape the danger he is facing, and hunger is not even on his radar. Offering food to a cat at that time is usually a waste of food and time, but sometimes, when I have no other options, I will do it just to see if it will at least help the cat view me in a more benevolent light. However, there have been a few times when the sight, sound, or scent of food acts like flipping a switch on the cat, and regardless of how frightened he may have been before, either he suddenly thinks of me as his best friend or he doesn't care who I am, and he comes straight toward me to get the food. While Aspen's transformation was not quite that sudden and dramatic, she ce...

If this rescue looks familiar, it's because I rescued this sweet kitty in the same tree twice before.  Yes, this is Princess, the photogenic, three-year-old calico in Watson, Louisiana who has developed the habit of getting stuck in the Tallow tree in her own backyard. She didn't climb quite as high this time, but she was still just as stuck and spent one night in the tree before I arrived to rescue her. Just like before, she was happy to see me and easy to rescue. In this tree, I could not make a lap where she could step onto it, so I held a carrier up to her. She studied it thoroughly but saw no reason to go inside, so I placed a can of food in the back of the carrier, and then she had a good reason. She stepped inside, and I closed the door and took her back down. In this Thanksgiving season, I'm sure she is thankful to be safe inside her home again, but I wouldn't be surprised if she was also planning her next adventure. As for me, I am thankful for the opportunity ...

Jennifer and her entire family fell in love with the friendly, juvenile, gray tabby kitty that showed up at their rural home near Denham Springs, Louisiana two weeks ago, but they could not bring it into their home because of serious allergies in the family. They did their best to keep the kitty safe and comfortable outside, including giving it an enclosed, heated shelter, but they knew this was only a short-term solution while they worked to find a good, permanent home. It wasn't until after the children named it Oscar that they learned that this kitty is a girl, but the name stuck anyway. Now, Oscar is 50 feet high at the top of a tree at the edge of a wooded area bordering the front yard, and she spent one night there before they found me to rescue her. Sweet, friendly kitties like Oscar are such a pleasure to rescue. She came straight to me, and I lifted her out of her perch and placed her on my lap where we had a sweet visit for a minute or two. I had already spread the bottom...

This was a fun rescue. It was fun not only because of Blondie's friendly, trusting, affectionate, kitten-like enthusiasm, but also because of the bonus I got at the end. Blondie -- named by Julie's grandchild -- is a seven-month-old orange tabby boy, and he was stuck 35 feet high on the lowest limb of a tall Sweetgum tree by his home near St. Francisville, Louisiana for one night. He was desperate for a rescue and cried loudly for help. My rope installation process did not disturb him one bit, and he watched my every move in expectation that I would help him somehow. When I started climbing up toward him, he started getting more excited to see me coming, and by the time I reached him, I was already his best friend. He began reaching for me, rubbing his head against me, and wanting to attach himself to me before I was even ready for him. I had to put some distance between us so I could spread the bottom of the cat bag over my lap, and then I let him step on my lap. He was excite...

I have been very lucky to have several super-sweet cats to rescue lately. I know my luck will not last forever, but I am certainly enjoying myself in the meantime, and these last two rescues continued the trend. Frank, a beautiful Siamese kitty in Slidell, Louisiana, was stuck in his neighbor's oak tree for two nights. He wasn't very high, and a bolder cat would have found a way down this leaning trunk, but Frank is not a bold boy. When I began to install my rope above him, he became scared and climbed down to a point where he could be reached with the 10-foot ladder that was already there. When I climbed the ladder up to him, he began to purr and was very friendly with me. I tried to lift him with my hand under his chest, but he wasn't comfortable with that. I spent a little more time with him and then tried it again. Like a young couple's first kiss, i t was awkward, but we made it work, and I held him in one hand against my body while I carefully stepped down the lad...