Cat Rescue Guy

Rufus climbed a Poison Ivy tree. Yes, I know that Poison Ivy is a vine, and, yes, technically, there was a struggling Tallow tree underneath the surface that provided the structural support, but when Poison Ivy dominates a tree like this and is the only thing visible on the outside, I feel reasonably justified in calling this a Poison Ivy tree. Contact with the vine is unavoidable, but, fortunately, my body has been exposed to it so much during the rescues I have done that it hardly reacts to it anymore. The biggest problem I have with it is how annoying it is and how it limits my climbing options. Now, getting back to Rufus. Rufus is a one-year-old kitty in Denham Springs, Louisiana who got stuck about 30 feet high in the top fork of the Poison Ivy tree, and he spent one long, miserable night there desperate to get down. His rescue was easy if you overlook the slow, strenuous climb through the irritating vines to reach him. Once I was within reach of him, I held a carrier up to him, a...

I have been enjoying a long string of easy kitties to rescue lately, so I knew I was overdue for a difficult one, and that difficult one turned out to be an unknown cat who had been stuck in a tree in Mandeville, Louisiana for five nights. John and his wife were very concerned about this strange cat who appeared in the Sweet Gum tree next to their driveway, and they did all they could to help it come down. They didn't recognize the cat, so they spoke to their neighbors and posted on all the appropriate local online forums, but no one had any information about it. While I was told the cat cried frequently in days past, it was pretty quiet when I arrived, and I was not getting a warm feeling about it. When I climbed up to him, he moved a little farther out his limb, turned around, and squatted down there facing me with a "don't you dare" look on his face. Well, of course, I am going to dare, but I will do so gently and slowly. I reached my hand out toward him, and he st...

If a cat can get stuck in a tree once, he can get stuck a second time. Or a third. Or many more. For most cats, it's a one-in-a-lifetime event, but there are a few cats who are repeat offenders. Of these, a small percentage are truly exceptional and can get stuck in a tree five or more times. Among the rescues I have done, currently, Simba holds first place with eight rescues, but now there is a new challenger on his tail running a close second with seven rescues. This challenger is Simon from rural Bunkie, Louisiana, and, like Simba, he is an escape artist who is also a tree addict, so when he escapes, he heads straight for a tree. In the past, when Simon escaped, he would get stuck in one of the many trees in his own front yard, but these past two times, he wandered farther away, and it took two days to find him. This time, Simon was about 50 feet high in a tall Oak tree, and he was far out on a long, arching limb where I would have a very difficult time reaching him. But I know...

It is such a joy to rescue a sweet cat. I love to rescue a cat who trusts me from the start and knows without question that my intentions are friendly. Of course, I always do my best to convey my friendly intentions, but many cats remain unconvinced while others, like these next two kitties I rescued, don't need to be persuaded at all. They trust me just because I am there, and it never occurs to them that I could be anything else but friendly. First was Prince, a super-sweet brown tabby boy who is seven years old. He was stuck for one night in a Pine tree in his yard in rural Zachary, Louisiana, and his adoring family was very distressed about it. Prince was stuck on a smaller stem leaning away from the larger tree, so I climbed the large tree and pulled myself over to Prince. He was ready. No introductions were needed. I spread the bottom of the cat bag over my lap, and Prince stepped on it, plopped down, and curled up there in my arms with a sense of relief so strong that I coul...

When a three-week-old torby kitten hid in the undercarriage of someone's car and was unknowingly driven from Denham Springs, Louisiana to Baton Rouge, a distance of at least 20 miles, Suni felt compelled to adopt her. Suni named the kitten Bailey, and these two have both bonded with each other very strongly over the past years. Bailey is four years old now, and when she got stuck in a tree in her yard near Zachary, Louisiana, she and Suni were both very distraught. Bailey cried almost constantly from the tree, and Suni sat agonizing on the ground below through two long nights before she finally discovered my rescue service. Bailey is normally a friendly girl, but she felt very frightened being stuck in the tree. She was sensitive to the slightest noise and commotion I created as I prepared to climb the tree, and the intensity of her voice would change dramatically with each disturbance. I was getting worried that she would be too afraid of me to allow me to get close, but I gave he...