'Cat in a tree'

Cat in a tree

Comment #25 cassy (216.220.216.154) -

our cat is stuck up a tree with no branches for about 15 feet or higher then the branches start to come out. the ladder is just tall enough to reach the lowest branch but overnight the cat got higher.

help.

Comment #26 emily (172.167.82.28) -

please help me my kitten is stuck in a huge tree...thanks alot

Comment #27 Nathan (24.222.200.97) -

My tabby cat got stuck in a 40 ft. tree. I bribed him with treats and tried to climb up but its too high for me what do i do?

Comment #28 Raegan (205.188.116.206) -

To all of you who have tried to save animals stuck in trees and been unsuccessful my thoughts and special prayers are with you.I rescue abandonded kittens and take in too many homeless kitties.i think God put me here to help them. Today a young kitten i have nursed since i found him abandonded when he was only several weeks old climed a tree about 40 feet in the air and it sent me into a quick panic. He cried and stayed still while i began to telephone agencies for advice and help. I spoke with a nice Fireman here in Mobile Alabama , Who said he would ask his captain if they could send a truck to attempt to rescue Little Mitten from the tree. Quickly the Fireman Jason from the Mobile Fire Department called me back and told me that Captain May from Engine 22 in Mobile Alabama said the easiest thing he could" tell her we do not rescue cats from trees" He runs the engine and could have dispatched the truck to help Litlle Mitten i was told if he wanted to. I realize the main job of the fire dept is to fight fires and be the first responders at accidents. I guess i still have the story book page etched in my mind from childhood of the fireman in his uniform saving the cat from a tree and lowering it to safety. I honestly think if they have the manpower to still do this for citizens in the community and innocent animals they should . I said a small prayer and within several hours Little Mitten decided he would make an attempt to get down he struggled slipped a few times on the way down and lost grip a fell the last 8 feet or so to soft leaves and grass he was lucky today. I wish today that Captain May at engine co 22 would have made a different choice, i lost respect for them today.

Comment #29 Fred Keebler from the Pig Pen -

Where would your thoughts be if the fire department came, raised their ladder up and then recieved an emergency call for a fire or accident and because of the delay there was significant property damage or loss of life that could have been avoided if they had remained on alert at the fire dept?

Comment #30 Dan Kraus from Seattle -

I'm a professional tree climber and started a cat in a tree rescue service in Seattle about nine years ago. I did not know how many rescues I would get but I knew poeple in this situation had no one to turn to for help. So far I've done over 550 cat rescues. I've just started a web site with a directory of professional climbers willing to help people get there cats down. I'm sorry if your city is not covered yet, I get more climbers every day. If your city is not covered try calling a tree service in your area for help.

good luck

Dan Kraus

Comment #31 Allie (24.164.165.130) -

My cat was stuck in a tree 30 ft.up this weekend. I think she was up there for at least a day before we found her. The neighbor's dog must have scared her. Luckly the fire departement came and resuced her the morning we found her. We tried to get her to come down by calling her, and she tried, but she almost fell out, the tree had almost no branches to help her climb down. When me and my dad thought she was going to fall, we got a blanket so we could hold it out to try and cath her if it came down to that. A cat up a tree sounds so cliché, but when it happens to your cat, it's very scary. One of the firemen had rescued cats before, and said that they will freak out and cut you up pretty badly. His cuts ended up infected and he had to go to the hospital, so now they have to wear full gear to rescue cats. Thank god they helped because she would still be up there if they didn't.

Comment #32 derek mintz (205.188.116.206) -

ive got 2 yes 2 cats in a tree. our oldest cat got stuck two days ago and as we were trying to coax it down our kitten saw him up there and ran up to join him. our hearts are breaking as we speak. we have three children 6 and under who just want nugget and kitty back. any advice would be appreciated

Comment #33 Kayla (199.126.129.223) -

If you want to get your cat out of the tree just show it how much you care and bla bla bla bla call the fire department Duh

Comment #34 Squee from California -

I have to say PLEASE dont leave your cat up the tree!!

My sister lost her cat and some neighbors found it up a HUGE tree much like yours! it nearly starved to death and could not get its own way down.

She had to call a special service, i believe it was tree trimmers but for you I would say call the Fire department, hopefully they can at least point you in the right direction.

good luck

Comment #35 Dan Kraus from Seattle -

Go to catinatreerescue dot com and see if there is a climber in your area

Comment #36 brat02026 from MA -

Ok, having done many of these rescues before..., in the hundreds. I have found dead cats in trees. Much to many dismay. I have also found that they will survive for quite a long time depending on the situation, temperature and weather. I've also had then stuck, literally, in the grooves of a tree. What I can say based on my experience is that every cat is different (like people) but there are only three outcomes: the cat stays, the runs or jumps or the cat fights you when you get it. Every tree is different. Every access to the tree is different. I've even done them at night but only because my system was set up in the daylight. I've not had one longer than three days from the time I've worked on it. I'm not an expert but I have a multitude of experience. It is true that some will come down after 24-48 hours. There are many who don't know how or just simply can't. Anyone telling you absolutes is no help what-so-ever and just hasn't seen enough of these cases to know. I have a 150 ft. two-line harness system (allows for 70' of climbing) that I use that is set up with a simply throw line with a weighted bag at the end. I can either throw it or use a special 6 ft sling shot that was purchased. Once set up. I can re-use the system to get higher or for other purposes..., such as, a thin tree...I can cinch two or three thin trees together and use the strength of the three versus the one. Many different scenarios. I've not experienced everything but I've been up in 100' trees in snow storms or 50' trees in downpours...which I don't usually want to do. Thunderstorms and very strong winds are a no-no. Fortunately, this is not ALL I do...but this is just one facet of many...I hope this helps.

Comment #37 brat02026 from MA -

I did forget to mention that in some cases, Animal Control, Police or Fire departments get these calls. Depending on your area, many will not be able to service your call. Liability is one. Cat bites and scratches are some of the worst to get. Obviously, the question of vaccination (rabies/distemper) is evident. Some Animal Control Officers are not allowed by the town to even climb ladders. This varies town by town or city by city. I think it has been said that if you are stuck in this situation it's best to call a tree company and hopefully the can fulfill this obligation. Some companies in my state will do it but they'll charge 200-300 dollars to check it out..., you're still charged if they can't do it...it's an assessment fee. Make sure you ask questions as to what they have for equipment and/or climbers.

Comment #38 ryderpup from plymouth mass -

My cat has been up at the top of a 40' tree for the past two days and nites now. The weather has been cold, windy and rainy and hes's swaying up there with not too much to hold on to. He is meowing 2x every 5 seconds and just doesn't have the desire to come down. This is the 3rd time in the past week (yeah I know)and this time we just can't reach him. Called the Fire dept and the Rescue and the Animal Control. The best they offer is "leave him alone and he'll evenually come down". Will he?

A bummed out owner

Comment #39 Bill (67.107.116.164) -

ryderpup from plymouth mass - Call the Animal Rescue League of Boston @ 617 426-9170. We can't really come out this late today because we won't have enough daylight, but we can come out tomorrow...

• Animal Rescue League of Boston

Comment #40 Denise (64.12.116.206) -

I'm so glad I found this website. We have a kitten that's been missing since Sunday. We live in the country on a river bluff and finally found him over 30ft stuck in a tree on the bluff. There's no way to get a ladder, and because of where were live other options are not available.

We are currently trying the basket idea. We used a 70ft dog training lead to throw over the highest area we know the kitten can get to. We were then able to pull a basket up to that point - with an open can of tuna fish in it. Hopefully this will entice him enough if he's able. It's been through a 10" snowstorm and 20 degree weather. It's nighttime now - but hopefully he'll climb in the basket where there's rags to help keep him warm as well.

Keep your fingers crossed and Thanks to the person who wrote about the basket idea. (I've also have owls and bald eagles to worry about getting him)

Comment #41 Denise (205.188.116.206) -

I just wanted to tell everyone that this evening we were finally able to rescue the kitten. We attached a fishing net to a limb cutter we had and when we were able to coax him far enough down - we could net him - mostly so he wouldn't run back up the tree. Between the net and the kitten we got him safely down - but he was so startled when he it the ground he ran up another tree. (I think I could put a sailor to shame with the phrases that came out of my mouth then!) Though this tree was taller and he went up higher - it only had a 5 inch diameter trunk. Once he came back down to a reasonable height - I went and sat on a log below the tree with a can of open tuna fish and our other cat. That did the trick - his hunger won out. He came down and let me walk up to him with the tuna. Now that he's inside - it's like he never went on his adventure except he won't leave my side.

This cat has used up at least 2 of it's 9 lives. We inherited him from our farmer neighbor who found him about 6 weeks old pretty much dead from being frozen. He brought him to me and we were able to nuture him back to life. Unfortunately there must have been some damage to his voicebox because he has the most absolute worst meow ever. Anyway - he's safe and no harm seems to have come to him.

In addition to trying the fishing net and poles - my next idea was to make a cat ladder. I would of made it with the slats flat so could stand on them. I was just going to use some 2x1 scrap wood we had. I think that would of worked too.

Good luck to whomever find themselves like me looking for a way to rescue their cat. I was grateful for the basket idea...we just couldn't get it positioned for him. And he was just to scared.

Comment #42 diane (202.162.18.252) -

I have a fat cat who loves to climb up my roof. But the annoying thing is he knows how to climb but don't know how to climb down! i think i have similar problems like you guys have but how do i avoid/train him not to climb up? i've even left him up there one whole day but he kept meowing non stop. What should i do? Oh yea he actually went to my neighbour's roof and destroyed the tilings and beams due to his weight and i can't be apologizing to them all the time.

Comment #43 Anita in Big Bear, CA (207.200.116.137) -

Our cat got stuck 50-60 ft. high in a pine tree on Friday, April 4. We didn't discover him there until after dark, so we had to just let him spend the night there. I was worried that something would happen to him overnight (he usually only goes outside during daylight hours), but there he was, still meowing pathetically in the tree the next morning.

We were told by several friends to just wait, that cats who can climb up that high will figure out on their own how to get down. We tried coaxing him down a few times, but he was obviously very scared and kept climbing higher.

By Sunday morning, I was getting a bit frantic, so I went online to see what I could learn. I found this website and read some of the messages posted here. I began to realize that maybe this cat couldn't get himself down. The basket trick sounded promising, so my husband and I decided to try it. My husband got the idea to use his fishing pole with a weight tied to the end of the fishing line (and no hook, thank you very much!) to reach the higher branches that we had no other way to reach. I think the weight he used was a small piece from his socket wrench set.

The trick eventually worked (it took a couple of tries to reach an appropriate branch); the line went all the way up to a tall branch and then down to the ground on the other side of the tree. We then tied the rope to the fishing line and pulled it up and over the branch of the tree. Then we tied the end of the rope to a bucket and, having placed an opened can of cat food inside the bucket, used the rope to pull the bucket to a branch high up in the tree.

Well, gotta tell you, if you try this trick, don't use a bucket or any other container with a swinging handle. Once the cat got up the nerve to try climbing into the bucket, the bucket went "horizontal" on him and now he was too afraid to climb in the rest of the way. He was, however, able to get in far enough to eat some of the food, which he did, and then climbed backed to a higher branch and start meowing pathetically again.

So we decided to try his cat cage. It's one of those plastic ones with a metal door. We pulled the door off so it wouldn't close at the wrong time, tied the rope through some of the holes in the sides, put some fresh food in it and added some catnip, and tried again. This time it worked! As soon as we discovered he was in the cage and clear of the tree branch, we gently lowered him to the ground. We immediately replaced the door to the cage and latched it shut. No way were we going to risk having him jump out of the cage and run off into the forest again!

By the time we finally got him out of the tree, it was Tuesday (remember he had been there since Friday). If this ever happens again, and hopefully it won't, our cat is on restriction!, we won't waste so much time doing the wrong thing. Our mistakes: waiting so long to try to rescue him, using the bucket with the swinging handle, and we made the mistake of placing the container several branches below where he was, we were hoping he'd climb down to where it was; were we ever wrong!

To those who also have a cat stuck in a tree, I say hang in there and do what you have to do to rescue it. I know this is a long story, but I hope it helps someone else.

Comment #44 brat02026 from MA -

Anita in Big Bear, CA:

I am from MA and do these types of rescues quite frequently, I am very glad to hear about your rescue. That's awesome. I wish they were all that easy. Not all cats can climb up can climb down. While some instances, I feel that if the cat has the courage in trying to climb, I consider letting the cat try. While most are not that comfortable, that's where I come in. Depending on your weather waiting is not really an option either. Here in New England, I am seriously wondering if it will actually snow in August. Sometimes the weather changes are that crazy. I'm very glad that you were able to get your cat.

Comment #45 moonchik from Oklahoma -

i don't know if i feel better or worse reading all these posts...

my 2 year old male cat, Joey Tribiani (yes, from Friends ~ all great looks and muscular body, but no brains)...has been stuck in a tree since Sunday, May 4th around 4pm

it's day 4 now - Joey has been through 3 massive thunderstorm fronts and the highest temp has been 82

i've tried coaxing, climbed the ladder (only to have him come down just a bit and then go right back HIGHER up), i've placed food, cried, begged and prayed...

he's about 30 feet up or more and completely terrified

i would like to try the basket w/ food, but the tree has new growth that's pretty thick at the trunk, thus making it impossible to do the basket pulley system...

i live in a rural area, our volunteer fire department doesn't even have a ladder or cherry picker... i'm going to call some tree service folks now, but the particular tree is in a not-so-easy to get to area in my neighbors yard, so my options are limited

any suggestions are much appreciated!

Comment #46 Linda (76.67.42.107) -

i saw a cat stuck high in a tree possibly 30 ft high i tried calling the mississauga humane society, animal services, and pet rescue and they all told me one thing.. to wait, and it will eventually come down on its own..well a few days later and the same cat was lying dead on the ground..either cause it tried coming down and fell off, or died from dehydration..now im just really curious what the point of PET RESCUE is ..when the only thing they do is tell you to wait until the animal dies.

Comment #47 Cheryl (71.31.12.21) -

Last week, my cat was stuck in a very tall tree. In fact, he was up about 70ft. high. I assume he'd been there since he went missing, Saturday. My neighbors found him in the tree on Tuesday when her dog was guarding the tree. They put the dog in the pen and we waited. We live in the country, so there was nothing to do but wait. We tried calling him down. My husband put an extention ladder up to get him which only made the cat climb higher. He would not try to come down. We left him alone, only occassionally going to the tree to call him (twice a day). Finally, on Thursday night, I went down the drive to the tree and called him, while shaking his dry food in the dish. After calling and shaking the dish, he came down in about 10 minutes. It took a little time for him to realize he could climb down tail first, but he did it on his own. When he was in reaching distance, I made the mistake of putting out my arm to grab him, which made him almost go back up. He seemed to want to come down by himself, not trusting me, even though he's my baby. I suggest people wait and see. If they get hungry enough they will try to come down. I'm not saying all cats will (I don't know about that), but it helped not to sit by the tree all day so he would get the message it was up to him, and it helped to wait until HE was ready.

Comment #48 ally (205.188.116.206) -

i'm thirteen and my cat is my bestfriend.

she got stuck up in a tree about 30 feet up, and ive tried everything to get her down. ive brought food, coaxing her, and the basket idea wouldnt work on the tree she's in. she got stuck up there and this is day three.

please help me.

ive been crying for two days and ireally couldnt handle seeing her get hurt or die.

PLEASE

her meows are getting quieter and lower and its really not good.

PLEASE!

help me.

feel free to email me at horseygurlie0725@aol.com

thanks :'[

Comment #49 Jana (66.61.161.44) -

My cat is stuck in my neighbors tree, since last night. She's 14 and was chased up the tree and can't get down because it's too steep. The fire dept. won't help, and tree service charges more than I can come up with. Who can I call?

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