'Cat in a tree'

Cat in a tree

Comment #100 heather (75.69.152.114) -

my cat is only 2 years old and she was chased up a 40 foot tree and was there from 5:28 in the morning untill whenever we get help because right now it is 3:43 at night and she is still there! i do not know what to do. i called the fire department twice now but they said to wait that she will come down soon enough but they were wrong. i called the police department but no one answered. i called many different pounds but they could not do anything about it. i called the aspca but they were not open today. i am stressed and confused. if the cat falls and does not make it i do not want my kids to see or hear about the tragic misfortune. i do not know how to prevent that from happening. it has been raining all day too so that could make my cat very poorly and ill. please tell me what i should do!

Comment #101 Earl (216.114.167.86) -

Well, I've always had the philosophy of the cat got up there, the cat can get down... until now that is. I've seen our 9 month old cat climbing trees all over the property and haven't given it a second thought. All 3 of our cats are indoor/outdoor cats. They come and go during the day, but we make sure they are in at night. (Fishers abound in this area)

Three days ago, Dennis (yes as in "the Menace" fame) didn't come in. The next day I heard something wailing in the woods at the edge of the house. Upon inspection, there was Dennis, 40' up an old maple. I used my "you got up there, you get down". mantra and walked away. But, his wail was just too pitiful to ignore. Unfortunately, my tallest ladder was about 10' too short. No one would come, as many here have experienced. The game warden offered a snare pole but it also was too short to reach. I figured he'd eventually get down when he was hungry enough. After the second night in the same position I realized that wasn't going to happen and was afraid he would weaken and fall the 40 feet.

Finally tried the laundry basket trick. Of course all the branches in the way made this quite a feat. Then when I finally got it up there he was still too timid to get into it, even though I had his favorite food there. Every time he touched the basket it swayed and he backed away. I waited about an hour trying to get him in. I finally was able to wedge it against the tree with the free end of the line strong enough for him to get his front in. Then I thought... do or die and let it sway away from the tree a bit. With his rear stretched out there was no return. I lowered the basket enough where he had to commit. There he was dangling half in/half out of the basket as I swooped him down low enough to grab him. Whew!

He's usually a rag doll kitty, loving lots of holding and loving. You know after I got him in and he chowed down a bit he ran for the door wanting to go right back out! Uh-uh, Mister... you're grounded til I say otherwise!

Comment #102 Jeff (70.67.141.47) -

If the cat was suffering for days and no one could get it down you should have simply shot it. Minimize suffering, much more humane than letting it starve. All you people take this wayyy to seriously, it's just a cat. I have a cat stuck in one on my 100 ft fir trees. Not my cat, do you seriously think I'm paying a tree trimming service to get it out?!

Comment #103 epthorn (74.39.18.244) -

Our kitten (5m) is stuck in a high tree. Will call tree trimming services if we can't get him down, but I think the cat rescue people on that website are too far away (none very close). Going to try the basket trick but the branches are numerous... not sure if it will work. Loading up an arrow with twine...

Comment #104 epthorn (74.39.19.192) -

Well, the arrow idea won't work- the twine makes it too unstable. Too high for a tennis ball, and since it's a big oak there are too many branches in the way to attempt a basket. Ground too stable to allow for a vehicle. Guess we have to hope the stupid little creature can get down... it seems to want to keep going up, someone needs to sit it down and teach it some physics.

Comment #105 epthorn (74.39.19.192) -

er, that is, ground not stable enough.

Anyway, cats don't always get down, but sometimes they do... not necessarily gently, though. I went as far up as I could in the dark and convinced the kitten to start coming towards me by shining a flashlight where I wanted her to go, and she started off well... but then lost it and fell about 40 or 50 ft down. Might have busted up her leg but she's too shellshocked to be looked at tonight, so we'll see tomorrow if she's limping...

Comment #106 Sissy in Hot Springs, Ar. (206.255.67.68) -

My Cat, Oreo, has now been up a 50ft oak tree for 4 days and nothing will bring her down. We even tried a deer stand and she got scared and went further up the tree. She is tired and weak and will not come down. we shook the tree with a rope and my husbands truck but the rope broke. we tried food and that did not work. Now she is hanging over the limbs and is almost to weak to move.

Comment #107 oreo's mom (206.255.67.68) -

Oreo went up a 50 ft oak tree Sunday the 19th and stayed up there until Thursday the 23rd. She was not at all intersted in our crys and begging and food on the ground. She was not impressed with our ropes around the tree, shaking it and bumping it with the truck. The deer stand made her go even further up and the firecrackers scared her half to death. Then suddenly yesterday morning she was at the back door ready to eat!!!!

Comment #108 valerie (75.46.70.231) -

my 1yo cat is up about 25 ft in a maple tree. she does not meow, and when i try to coax her down with pleas, then tuna, she just yawns and starts to bathe herself. she looks like she is not distressed at all. it has been 36 hrs. now...when should i worry and take more agressive rescue tactics?

Comment #109 crefleoch norbonegan (75.48.127.29) - Mon Aug 24 19:23:49 2009

my cat was only 7 months old and was pretty small at that. She was the runt of the litter but was so cute we had to take her. She had been in a tree about 40 feet up in the heart of summer (90+ temps all week and no rain). We tried everything posted, including my son climbing up the tree about 20 feet and falling and breaking an arm. She looked so weak and her cries became weaker and weaker, but finally on the 7th day she just came down the tree and jumped from about 20 feet- she was fine and looked at us like "what is all the fuss". Keep the faith.

Comment #110 debra (205.188.116.206) - Mon Sep 21 15:24:05 2009

mines stuck today to.. it's been all day// she went up one day last week and a man which is a tree pruner helped get her down.. now shes up again.. i hate to bother him again.. he's going to think were nuts.. i tried spraying water up.. put the kids trspoline under the tree, , nothing yet

Comment #111 Mike (72.241.70.156) - Sat Oct 3 03:18:23 2009

Wait until it's after dark and use bright lights to temporarily blind it so it freezes like a deer in the headlights instead of just climbing even higher when you climb up to get it.

The cat is obviously going to be scared when you grab it so you might want to wear protective clothing too.

Comment #112 heidi (76.97.220.20) - Sun Oct 4 15:16:12 2009

Our 8 month old cat normally stays inside but early this morning, he bolted past me as I opened the door to let our dog in. I didn't see him for a few hours & went looking for him & heard his woeful meow next to the house but couldn't find him until I looked up & saw him about 35 ft up in a tree. After an hour of coaxing & using the old Buffalo Bill trick of raising a straw Easter basket with food in it ( think Silence of the Lambs), I googled "cat stuck in tree" and found this website & Comment #18 from Dawn about using a mesh laundry basket with food in it. It worked like a charm & Buddy is safe & sound back indoors where he will remain ! The smaller basket was too unsteady & he didn't trust it, but laundry basket was deep & wide enough to be stable, even if it did sway a bit from side to side. Thank goodness for this site .. And may God bless all pets & their owners.

Comment #113 JESSICA (70.152.31.42) - Tue Oct 6 18:36:30 2009

MY CAT HAS BEEN UP A 30 FOOT TREE FOR 4 DAYS NOW. SHE KEEPS CRYING BUT WON'T ATTEMPT TO COME DOWN. I CALLED THE FIRE DEPT AND THEY DON'T HAVE A LADDER HIGH ENOUGH AND THE TREE IS IN THE BACK YARD WITH NO ACCESS. I'M AFRAID IF A TREE CLIMBER GOES UP THERE SHE WILL FREAK OUT AND JUMP. SHE HAS GOT TO BE WEAK BY NOW. ANY SUGGESTIONS.

Comment #114 Aaron (24.17.97.192) - Sat Oct 10 21:54:32 2009

I have a cat in the tree 80ft up, anyone have equipment or help?? Aside from buying nails and hardware, I will hammer a stairway up that friggin tree... although it's dark and late, but any tree climber should contact me... please.

Comment #115 Ed from Oregon (206.125.93.174) - Sat Oct 24 13:39:55 2009

"Cat in tree, pet rescue"

I know this thread is years old but I wanted to add that the reason cats get stuck in trees is that their claws curve inward.. Perfect for climbing up and useless for climbing down head first which is what the usually do unless experienced tree climbers.. It is often too late to learn to climb backwards for an inexperienced cat or for a cat that has learned to go head first down from small heights and is now terrified because of the great height he has climbed to.

Comment #116 Roy J Lores (67.224.208.178) - Sun Oct 25 16:14:33 2009

"What if the cat is stuck in a tree full of thorns?"

What if the cat is stuck a particularly t tree such as a Lemon tree for example?

Comment #117 Bruce Busfield (173.63.31.80) - Fri Oct 30 21:34:12 2009

"How I Got a Cat Out of a Tree After 4 Weeks!"

When I first noticed this unknown cat sitting on a limb about 50 feet up in a tree in my back yard, I just waited as I heard that cats would eventually come down when they got hungry. This was a tall straight vertical tree with no limbs below the cat's position. Five days went by and the cat was still there. I figured it must be very hungry and I should somehow try to get some food up there so it could retain its strength to climb down (it did rain so it got some water). I made a sling shot using several thick rubber bands and shoot a one ounce weight attached to very light kite string over the branch. It took me about 15 to 20 attempts to do this as I was a very bad shot. The weight was a brass plumbing coupling with a hole through it so I could very securely attach the string. Next, to the kite string, I attached and pulled up a much heaver twine and attached to this was a small bucket (like the kind a child plays with in the sand) which contained a can of cat food!

So I wait another 5 days sending up water but no food as I did not want this cat to think it was living in a high rise with room service. After awhile it's obvious the cat isn't coming down on its own so I step up my feeding intervals until finally in the third week it is being fed daily. This is in October and the days are getting colder and rainy - the nights are windy, damp and miserable. It's going to die up there if it doesn't come down.

Finally, I get a large box, 16" x 16" x 20" deep, and attach the heavy twine securely through a small hole centered on one side at the top. There is also twine attached to the same side bottom extending down to the ground to help correctly position the box on the way up. The top is open. I glued an open can of cat food to the inside bottom where the cat would be sure to see it. I did't feed the cat the day before so I was sure it was hungry. I pulled the box up and tied the twine to a heavy weight. Of course, the cat climbs higher up in the tree to about 85 feet when it hears all this commotion. I go inside my house and wait by a window watching. The cat is now climbing around on all the nearby limbs trying to determine how it is going to get to this food - the box is too deep to just stick its head into it like the bucket. The cat is now really determined to get at that cat food! Almost an hour goes by when all of a sudden it leaps into the box. I quickly run outside making as little sound as possible and untie the twine. In a split second the cat is on the express elevator down. As I slow the rate of descent at about 10', and burn my fingers, the cat pops out of the box and disappears at full speed into my neighber's yard - without even looking back once or eating the open can of food. Good luck Mr or Ms Cat!

Comment #118 Chrystal (216.231.159.16) - Mon Nov 2 13:33:08 2009

"Daughter cat stuck 60 feet up"

mY DAUGHTERS cat Midnight climbed or was scared into a cedar tree on our property. The cat is at least 60 feet high. I have tried the basket idea to no avail we are just not able to get it high enough or on a sturdy enough limb. I tired tuna at the bottom of the tree to no help. I even hoped the turkeys that roost in the trees at night would tempt him to climb down but nothing. He has been there for almost 24 hours. No company will help. What do I do?

Comment #119 nikki (64.148.40.13) - Tue Nov 17 18:55:20 2009

"cat bella stuck in tree since sunday"

my cat bella has been lost for about a week and i just came home to a flyer in my mail about a cat stuck in a tree.. turns out it IS my cat and shes been there since this past sunday. we went over there and saw her up there and said her name and kept talking to her to see if it would help bring her down. all she does is keep meowing extrememly loud! the tree she is in the utility area of my neighborhood, which would make it very hard for any type of truck with a cherry picker to get in there, even if it did its still not tall enough.. someone please help and tell me what else i could do!!

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