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Cat stuck in a tree?

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It happens all the time. All cats are natural tree climbers, but when it is time to come down, some cats know how to climb down and some don’t. Those that don’t know how to come down are truly stuck. When the cat is stuck, the cat and its owner are both suffering, and that suffering is needlessly prolonged when numerous people convince the owner that all cats come down on their own. That is not true. Some cats will come down, but some won't. If the cat has had enough time to figure out how to come down on its own and is still stuck, then it's time for a rescue. Rescue Service Learn about my rescue service , view  video highlights  or a  gallery of images of past rescues, and read the blog of individual rescue stories using either the Rescue Stories page or the blog archive link in the sidebar. All the links, as well as my contact information, are in the navigation sidebar. All About Cats in Trees The subject of cats in trees is poorly understood by the general public,

Princess' Third Rescue

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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

Oscar and Friday

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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

Blondie

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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

Frank and Ramone

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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

Dewey

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Cats sure can cause a lot of trouble. Not only can they cause trouble for their own family, but they can cause trouble for anyone who happens to be nearby. For example, when you find an unknown cat stuck in a tree in your yard, like it or not, you suddenly have the trouble of being responsible for the cat. It doesn't matter if you don't have time or even if you hate cats, you have the trouble of finding someone who can rescue the cat, and then you need to take care of the cat until you find its owner. If the owner is not found, then you need to find a home for the cat. That's trouble, and many people simply won't or can't put out that much effort to help an unknown cat. Depending on who, if anyone, takes responsibility for the cat, the cat's eventual fate can range anywhere between sublime and tragic. Dewey was lucky. He was lucky because he happened to get stuck in a tree on the property belonging to Lamar and Stacy, and they were willing to go to the trouble o