'Cat in a tree'

Cat in a tree

Comment #75 Alex (24.17.115.53) -

Our neighbor has a cat that has been up a tree for 3 days now and keeps going higher. It's about 100 feet up now. The poor thing just does not know how to climb down. We called a rescuer and he couldn't make it out yesterday but said he would be here today but we haven't heard from him. We've called the Arbor Preservation Society in Maple Valley but haven't heard back from them!

Crows are now attacking the poor thing and the owners children are around the bottom of the tree (they're all under 8 yo) and they are crying and having a hard time with it.

This family is very poor and cannot afford to pay for anyone to come and get the cat so we chipped in towards the cat rescue fund and I have a friend who is also trying to help.

This is just awful! Those damn crows are attacking it and it's just gone from bad to worse!

Hopefully, someone will come soon.

Comment #76 Anita (76.191.154.85) -

Thank goodness I found this thread and the link to catinatreerescue.com . Our cat had been missing since Sunday, and we discovered him about 40-50 feet up a tree on Saturday. The whole week it had been raining, with freezing temperatures and gusts of wind. The poor cat was all the way out on a limb and looked like a bird sitting in a nest. We tried the basket method described here, but he did not go for it. I found a local arborist using the nationwide directory on the catinatreerescue.com website and had someone out within 5 hours who got him down. We are so relieved to have our cat back. I am sure he would not have come down on his own. Hope this helps other people!

Comment #77 Lucy3 from Finland -

The fire department has twice rescued my cat from a high tree. Understandably, the second time they weren't all that happy about it and advised me to keep my cat indoors. I am hoping someone could help me with this question: Would cutting her nails and still allowing her go out, be a solution? Or, would this leave her defenseless, against other cats, for example? The only time she climbs a tree is fear from barking dogs!

Comment #78 FerrisMom from California -

My son Scott was killed just a year ago in Orange, CA, while trying to rescue a kitten from a 50-foot-tall cypress tree. The neighbors had gathered to see what they could do, because the kitten had been up there for two days, crying non-stop and obviously terribly scared. Scott was a trained firefighter, and an expert rock climber. He put on his safety gear, and easily made it up to where the kitten was, about 40 feet. She didn't fight him at all - Scott put her in his backpack and started back down with no problem.

The tragedy wasn't caused by his climbing to save the cat. He was home from work that day recovering from a back strain; because he was feeling a lot better, and with his training and experience, he knew he could make the climb. What happened is he passed out - most certainly from the pain of another muscle spasm - he went limp, let go of the tree, and fell head first to his death, without flailing or calling out.

Yes, the cat survived. She struggled out of the backpack and jumped clear just as Scott hit the ground. They found her lying under a bush with a broken jaw, but she recovered completely. It was just an accident, an unfortunate confluence of events that came together in the wrong way for Scott. My son's birthday was yesterday - he would have been 29 years old. About 30 of us gathered at his favorite pizzeria to remember and celebrate his very full and active life.

To those who think people who try to help cats "stuck" up in trees are over-reacting, or silly, or - as posted on my son's obituary - "stupid" and "just looking for p*ssy" - well, I guess I don't have anything to say to them. I do want to thank the posters who have shared their experiences and the feasible and safe ideas for rescues. I plan to send this link to those organizations who get calls asking for this kind of help, but say they "can't" do anything.

Comment #79 LG - Lakeland, FL (71.122.144.107) -

03-14-09

Our 7 year old Tabby was chased up a tree by another cat. She was 30 ft up a straight trunk Oak with no way to climb or use a ladder to rescue her. After a night and half the next day, she gave no indication she would ever come down on her own.

After reading this web site I used the laundry basket method and had her on the ground 30 minutes later.

I used a fishing line with a socket for weight, then a 1/4 inch nylon rope. Be sure to tie a rope to the four sides of the basket for balance. Throw in her favorite blanket and dish of food.

Worked like a charm for me.

LG _ Lakeland, FL

Comment #80 belindabear (70.212.41.113) -

My 5month old kitten is stuck in a huge tree, he has been all afternoon. This tree isn't by our home we were on our way to a friends house to take the kitten. I have read some of your messages and hope they do some good. Catlike...I tried to call the fire dept. they told me they don't do that, I think they thought it was a joke. APL wouldn't help me either, so I really hope and pray he comes down. I gave my phone number to a house that was by the tree and hopes that she will call when he comes down.

Comment #81 Bre'Annadowns-strouse (68.103.78.11) -

my tabby is stuck in my neighbors tree and i'm scared because now he has to spend the night in it because he is to afraid to get down. what should i do i want to cry because my baby is in my neighbors tree please help!.

Comment #82 Marlene (207.200.116.72) -

My 8 month old kitten is stuck in a tree about 50ft. up and no one will help we called the fire dept. and 911 and they said they do not do that anymore. We are left on our own to try and get my kitten down and I can tell he is distressed. It is a sad world when a animals life in not that important to anyone.

Comment #83 Jerry (97.60.46.132) -

My cat has been up in a tree for three days, crying. I heard from my Vet that cats do not die in trees. After much research it turns out his information is incorrect.

Contrary to popular misconceptions cat's do die in trees and other high places like utility poles.

A fear struck, panicked feline can remain in a tree until it is too dehydrated and weak to return to the ground. Even then , if it does try to return it is then in a weakened state and may fall and injure or kill itself.

An inexperienced cat, or a kitten may not know it must climb down backwards and will fall if it attempts to come down forward.

Tree workers and utility employees report finding cat skeletons in high places, or near the base of such places long after the dead cat falls.

I have called a professional tree climber. I hope he can help me. If your cat winds up a tall tree, or utility pole get help before dark. I wish I did, but mostly I wish I had the information I'm giving to you folks.

Comment #84 Bob From ohio (76.1.210.227) -

Our 2 year old black cat got out on the 18th of march and climbed up an oak tree about 40 feet high we called around and no one would help, and I had to go to work, my wife and i tried until 10 at night and we tried for 3 more days we got a ladder from my dad and he came over to help we shook the tree she was in but she didnt fall but luckily she did go to a different branch that was over our mobile home so we tried the basket trick but she didnt want nething to do with it. so my brother in law came over and we put a 24 foot ladder on top of the mobile home and my wife climbed up the ladder into the tree and threw the cat dow to me i caught her in a blanket and put her inside then we got my wife down so after 4 days of worrying and trying to get our bella down we finnally did and no one got hurt so we have a happy ending thank god. just be careful and have more then one person to hold the ladder if you are going to climb it

Comment #85 Cristyfrog (24.21.118.77) -

My kitten got out for the first time (on accident). We found her this morning 60-70 ft up in a tree! I searched the interent to figure out what to do and found this blog. Thanks to all your advice, we lured her down with bacon. She was really scared, but she made it!!! So thank you, and if this happens to anyone else, bacon works!!

Comment #86 Evan (65.35.171.253) -

I've had cats get stuck in trees, but I've always had the ability to get them down. It does happen.

However, it kind of irritates me that people are getting angry with animal rescue organizations and the fire department for not coming and saving their cat. You DO realize that there are bigger fish to fry, right? Sure its sad, but do you really expect the FIRE DEPARTMENT to take time out of its day to come help your common housecat stuck in a tree? Of course they won't, they've got way more important things to do.

Comment #87 Walt Cloudt (65.207.31.34) -

True story – this happened to us over the last 3 days.

Our cat “Dusty” didn’t come in at dark Monday. We looked and looked, but no cat. After a 28’F night we found her about 40’ up a tree.

Carol and I tried without success to coax her down with treats and loving encouragement.

“Get down from there stupid cat! (that was me)” Give me a break, this was the 5th time this has happened since we got Dusty, less than a year ago!!

Having been there, done that, got the T-shirt, and having done extensive research on getting cats out of trees, at about 10 AM, I threw a weighted string over the branch close to the cat, tied on a laundry basket we’d lined with toweling and sprinkled with kitty treats and hoisted said basket up to her. (My extension ladder wouldn’t reach.)

After all our best efforts, Dusty just sat there & meowed pitifully. This meowing continued along with much coaxing and pleading until we went to bed. The cat never went into the basket!! She’d look into it, step on the edge, it would move and she’d draw back.

After a sleepless night, I brought the basket down early this morning and put a bowl of water into it along with Dusty’s usual dry cat food. I then left for work in Maryland. Carol kept tabs on the cat.

About 11AM Carol called me to report Dusty had finally gotten in the basket. Apparently hunger and thirst had overcome fear. Joy, joy!!

Carol let her halfway down in the basket, at which point she unexpectedly jumped out of the basket onto the tree trunk, but thankfully this time she was able to climb down. She’d had lots of practice coming down from 20 feet.

This was a big relief, since next step was either call the professionals or just wait and see what happened, which is a pretty lousy situation.

It was gratifying that the “basket trick” really worked, although not as fast as we’d hoped.

I got the idea from this website, so thanks and God Bless all who contributed their stories.

Comment #88 Alison (76.126.219.50) -

My cat has been stuck 60 ft. up a redwood tree in my backyard for 31 hours now. We're going on night #2. I've tried food, everything. It was Easter today, no one available. Tomorrow morning I'm calling everyone. What a disaster. Poor girl. She's so miserable and she WILL NOT come down.

Comment #89 skylar (97.114.106.183) -

my kitten, frodo, is stuck in a tree about 40 feet high. he's been there for about 2 days and lasted rainy nights. all he does is cry. and noone can get him down!

Comment #90 Susie (216.183.143.67) -

my cat mittens is a kitten and stuck in a tree about 2 stories up. she's been up there for about 15 hours. i tried coaxing her, food, climbing the tree (but its too scary), and throwing pine cones, but she still wont come down. the only thing she has responded to was her brothers and sisters. we have 4 other cats who are older and more experienced that love her. they have all took turns climbing the tree to see mittens and try to show her how to get down. she tried, but is still too afraid. we put a mattress under her so if she falls, she would hopefully not get hurt.

Comment #91 rena (99.199.152.226) -

my cat has been stuck in a tree up 30 feet for 4 days and its pouring rain and i tried treats and callin him and its killing me to watch and i dont no what to do oh i pray he will come down

Comment #92 Cindy (98.108.31.113) -

Except for kittens, if an adult cat gets stuck in a tree I'd let them stay up there. If they're that stupid, so be it.

Comment #93 Jesse (24.164.78.213) -

My nine month old kitten was stuck in a tree today. He was in the top of the canopy, very high up. Far above my two level house. We were fortunate enough to find a tree service company that was willing to help. A young man came out after dark and climbed up the tree with a harness on. He used tuna, "Buster's" favorite food, to befriend him. Amazingly he placed our cat in a gym bag that was tied to a rope and lowered him down to the ground. Our cat was so high up, he likely would have been injured in the fall if not worse. My heart goes out to others who have not been so lucky.

Our cat would still be in that tree right now, terrified to death, if it were not for this young man. My suggestion to anyone in this situation is try and find someone who is willing to climb the tree to rescue your cat. We first called the vet, who suggested a tree service company, that just happened to be willing to help us out in this heartbreaking situation. I wish the best to anyone else who finds themselves in this situation.

Comment #94 Jake (24.235.228.91) -

The cat had been in the tree for about 4 hours, if not longer. I got frustrated so i decided to look it up and see if anyone had some easy solutions. I used the laundry basket and rope idea, worked like a charm! Thanks so much everybody for the creative solutions!

Comment #95 Mick (71.215.245.180) -

My cat has been stuck up a 20ft tree since sometime yesterday. My wife and I called his name and we heard him crying. It was about 10:00pm. I found the tree he was in, and saw him stuck out on a limb. I called him several times and he would not move. I have an idea. I'm a bow hunter, so I am going to shoot an arrow over the branch, with a 50ft piece of thick twine. Then I am going to hoist a basket up to him and hopefully he will jump in it and I will lower him to the ground. Not every cat is bright enough to get themselves down. Our other cat Jasmine, got chased up a tree by a dog, and eventually she figured out she had to back all the way down. Zazu, unfortunately isn't so smart. My wife says, cut the tree down with your chain saw. Don't think that is a very good option. Maybe I'll send Jasmine up the tree and Zazu will follow here down. Hope I don't shoot my cat!

Comment #96 David (70.105.112.178) -

My neighbor's cat is in a tree, I've read some of the thread, should we wait him out?

Comment #97 Helen (150.127.225.246) -

Hi everybody!

It has been very interesting to read all your stories. I am living in Hungary and my cat climbed up to the tree 2 days ago and here we cannot get any help to get her down. It is cold outside and windy and she hasn't eaten two days now. I am so worried and wherever I called they always tell me the cats and their skeleton stories. My boyfriend tried to climb up, but the tree is too high and it's not even in our carden so we do not even have access to it if neighbours are not at home.

I am so worried that I really can't do anything anymore, I will try the bacon tonight but if it's not gonna work, I quess I can just wait. Lot's of people told me that if the cat is not coming down it meens she doen't want to, but this is obviously not true.

Comment #98 Stephanie (96.228.44.41) -

we have a cat that has been stuck in a tree for 7 days!!!!I have called any and every resource...I just tried the T.V station. I had a tree guy come out here today, and he could not coax her down...she went further up and he could not reach her. I feel she will die up there soon, and am so very sad...i just left her some bacon as my last ditch effort. Well, actually I just called tree guy back again, to see if he will come try again tomorrow with a can of food. He went up there with nothing before. pray for our kitty.

Comment #99 Dee (216.107.102.122) -

My cat is 22lbs. He is stuck in a 50ft Pecan tree. This tree is surrounded by brush. You can't get a latter anywhere close to the base of the tree. He has been there over 24 hours and through a horrible thunderstorm last night. He is too scared to come down on his own. If he could. He would have come down last night. I have tried calling him. He answers me. But no luck. I just don't know what to do.

E-Mail:         

Name:            (required)

Title:           (required)

Message (do not enter emails or links or urls in the message!):