Posts

Cat stuck in a tree?

Image
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 p...

Grover and Mimi

Image
It was one of my most dreaded rescue scenarios: a feral juvenile cat stuck in a huge tree. The tree was a large, spreading oak that is wider than it is tall, and it had large limbs extending forty feet from the trunk. That gave a scared cat plenty of room to roam, and there was no way I would be able to reach it at the end of those limbs. To be fair, we knew nothing about this cat, so maybe I would get lucky and be able to befriend it, but I wasn't feeling optimistic about that. We didn't know if this gray tabby was a male or female, but I will just assume it was a male and call him Grover. The tree was on Maria's property in Tickfaw, Louisiana, but she didn't know about this cat until her neighbors pointed it out and said that it had been stuck there for three nights. Being the animal lover that she is, Maria sought to find help for this kitty and eventually found me. I arrived to find the cat resting next to the trunk on a limb about halfway up the tree. When I began ...

Coco

Image
I love rescuing sweet kitties like Coco. This nine-month-old, all-black kitty in Duson, Louisiana just innocently assumed that I was a good guy, and he fully trusted me from the start. He readily stepped on my lap, but he wanted more than that. He continued up my chest and wanted me to hold him there. After spending two cold nights in the tree, he was happy to have some warm company. That's the kind of reception I love to get, and I wish every cat would respond that way. While I can't say I enjoyed climbing this dense Cypress tree with all the tight squeezes between limbs, I certainly enjoyed rescuing Coco and would happily do so in whatever kind of tree he might climb. Thanks, Coco. That was fun.

Tangera, Unknown, and Tiger

Image
Cats have been busy lately, and this rather lazy year has ended with a burst of activity including these three rescues in three days. First is Tangera, a sweet, but shy, six-month-old tortie who slipped outside and climbed a Sweetgum tree in her front yard in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was not comfortable with me in the tree with her despite my reassurances, and she slowly and quietly made moves to climb up higher in the tree to get away from me. I wasn't ready to secure her, but I had to prevent her escape. I picked her up and placed her on my lap with some gentle pets. Her slow movement away from me gave me enough time to get my cat bag ready, so I bagged her before she could escape. She didn't complain or resist one bit and is now safe at home with her grateful family. In a different Baton Rouge neighborhood, several people noticed an orange tabby that was stuck in a tree in one of the neighbor's backyard. Someone called Animal Control, and the Animal Control officer in...

Simon's Fifth Rescue

Image
This is the fifth time I have rescued Simon, and because I know what many of you are thinking, I want first to offer an explanation to ease your mind. Yes, Simon is an inside cat. Yes, his family knows he likes to escape and does what they can to prevent that, but Simon can be very sneaky and determined. Also, Simon is unusual in that he has a magnetic attraction to trees, so when he escapes, he runs straight to them. To prevent him from climbing, his family has nail caps put on his claws, and, in fact, this time when he escaped, it was just two hours before his appointment to get new nail caps. One more thing: Simon is a cool, super-sweet, cooperative kitty, and I love to rescue him. All that said, it's true that his rescue count is getting up there. Indeed, he is now tied for second place among all the cats I have rescued. He still needs three more rescues to catch up with the leader, but given his circumstances and youth -- he is nineteen months old -- I think it's possible ...

Marshmallow

Image
After rescuing Lily in Kaplan, Louisiana, I was driving home on the interstate when I got a call from Christie asking if I could rescue a cat in a tree in Geismar. The cat was unknown and high in a tree on a large common area marking the entrance to a subdivision. I drove straight there, and Christie was waiting there for me when I arrived. She pointed to the tall Cypress tree in the distance, and I dropped my jaw when I saw a tiny speck of white pacing back and forth on the top limb about 80 feet high. The tree is larger than it appears in this picture. The cat was crying loudly and desperately for help, and the crying intensified as the cat noticed us walking toward her. She became so excited to see us focusing our attention on her that she began to try to climb down. She could not hold on to the tree very well and had to pull herself back up on the same limb, but she continued to be excited. My plan was to install my rope on a sturdy limb about 20 feet below the cat and then work my...