Cat Rescue Guy (2025)

13/02/2025

It was a pleasant day for a stroll, so a certain one-year-old, black-and-white kitty named Tonjiro wandered away from his home in Walker, Louisiana and began to explore in a neighbor's yard. Tonjiro is a friendly, trusting boy, so he was a bit naively surprised when he found himself in the presence of seven dogs who, not only did not show the polite, southern courtesy of inviting him over for coffee and a friendly chat, but instead rudely took offense at his mere presence there and even began to protest in a very threatening manner. Tonjiro was taken aback, but he did not hesitate to see the seriousness of this encounter, so he discarded the book of etiquette and used his instinct instead to run for his life. He ran to a nearby tree and climbed it until he was out of reach of the dogs jumping up for him, and then he climbed some more just to be sure he was safe. He came to rest on a limb about forty feet high and settled there safe, at least for the moment, and with all his bold white whiskers intact. The only problem now was how to get down and back home.

Taylor quickly noticed Tonjiro's absence and searched for him thoroughly and repeatedly. She called for him knowing that he would certainly respond if he could, but she never heard a response. What she didn't know was that Tonjiro heard her and was responding to her, but she just could not hear him. He was close enough to home that she would have heard him if he had a normal voice like most cats, but his voice is a tiny, high-pitched sound that simply does not project very far at all. He was even close enough that she could have seen him, but he had perched on a limb where he was well hidden by the surrounding foliage. Tonjiro was missing for five days before she finally found him, and she called me right away. The neighbors were very gracious and cooperative to allow me in their backyard and to contain their dogs while I did the rescue.

I love rescuing cats like Tonjiro. While I had some trouble getting my rope installed in the tree, I had no trouble at all with Tonjiro. He was out on a limb, and when he saw me climbing up to him, he came back toward the trunk knowing he would meet me there. He was waiting for me when I reached his level, and he greeted me happily even though, as you can see in the video (link in first comment), he was still wet from the small, but severe, storm that passed over us in the minutes immediately before I arrived. He energetically rubbed his head on the tree, on my rope, on my hands, and on every thing I touched. I spread the bottom of the cat bag over my lap, and he knew what to do. He stepped on my lap but was so energized that he could not sit still long enough for me to secure him in the bag. He stepped back on the limb, and I knew he would be back. I had more luck the second time pulling the sides of the bag up around him, and I secured him inside and took him back down to the ground where Taylor was waiting. She took him back home where he is recovering just fine from his experience, but he is suffering with serious disillusionment concerning his neighbor's manners.

Link to video in first comment.

08/02/2025

Sweet cat. Simple climb. Easy rescue. That just about sums up the rescue of Martha in Hester, Louisiana. Martha is a friendly, gray tabby girl who just appeared in the neighborhood four weeks earlier, and everyone loved her and took care of her. No owner was ever found, so the whole neighborhood watched out for her, and Aimee and her sister, Amanda, took responsibility for her. Next door to Aimee is her father's auto repair shop where Amanda works, and Martha usually hangs out there in the office to supervise.

Martha had been stuck about 45 feet high in the tree for three nights by the time I arrived to rescue her. She watched me intently as I prepared to climb up to her, and I could tell she was going to be a sweet and cooperative kitty. We made friends right away, and I spread the bottom of the cat bag over my lap and waited for her to step on my lap. When she did so, I took a little too much time pulling the bag up around her, and Martha was concerned enough about it that she jumped right back onto the limb. Rather than spend more time trying to get her back on my lap, I simply dropped the bag around her, picked her up under her chest, and gently secured her inside the bag.

Once we were back on the ground, Amanda let Martha partially out of the bag and held her for several minutes before taking her back to work at the office where her supervisory skills had been sorely missed. Peace has settled into the neighborhood once again, though Martha did suffer one more stress when she was spayed the next day.

06/02/2025

I often get calls to rescue a cat when he has been stuck in the tree for only a few hours or even minutes. Generally, I don't rescue a cat unless he has been stuck in the tree at least one night, and the main reason for that is because many cats will come down on their own, and it's especially at night when they tend to do that. When possible, it is to everyone's benefit to give the cat an opportunity and challenge to learn how to climb down, because, if he does so, then he will have learned a valuable new skill which he can use to rescue himself the next time. It also saves me unnecessary work, risk, and time. It is also much easier to rescue a cat after he has had time to face the reality that he is indeed stuck and has had time to calm down and feel safe again, especially if he was chased there by a predator. If I go there too soon, I am likely to find a nervous and uncooperative cat, and that makes the rescue more difficult and risky.

There are exceptions, however. For example, if a cat has been displaced, that is, in a "foreign" territory such as a cat who escapes after being transported away from home, then his rescue becomes more urgent. That is one time you do not want the cat to come down on his own, because he could then run away and become lost, and that is much worse than being stuck in a tree. Similarly, though not quite as serious, if an indoor cat who has never been outside escapes his house and gets stuck in a tree in his own yard, then you could argue that he, too, is displaced. However, in most of these cases, the cat will know where home is and will return there if he comes down. This was the situation with Kitty, a one-year-old white cat in Walker, Louisiana. Kitty had been stuck less than one hour when Melissa called me, and it was too soon to try to rescue her. In addition, I was already on my way to rescue Sly, but, I decided to stop at least to assess the situation after rescuing Sly, especially since I would be passing close to there on my way home anyway.

When I arrived, I found Kitty in a small, multi-stem tree where all the stems leaned and arched away from the center. Kitty was securely nestled in a spot where I would be able to reach her, but, if she walked farther out the stem, I would not be able to go past that point without risking the failure of the entire stem. I was encouraged by Kitty's calm disposition, however, and it appeared to me that she would be receptive and cooperative. Unfortunately, my clumsy climbing of this leaning stem created more disturbance than Kitty could stand, and she became nervous and walked all the way out to the end of the stem far out of my reach.

I tried to lure Kitty back to me, but she would not come any closer. I tried to use my catch-pole, but she was just beyond my reach. The only other option I had to secure her was to set a trap for her, but I didn't think a trap would be workable on this steep stem. In a case like this, it is important to secure her so that she does not have a chance to run off into the nearby woods and become lost, so we didn't want to force her to fall. Ultimately, I had to give up because I had no way to secure her. I have not had to leave a cat in the tree in a very long time, but I left with the intention of returning the next morning with fresh energy, ideas, and determination. In the meantime, I advised that they leave the window from which Kitty escaped open because cats often try to return to the point of escape. The window, however, was in the front, and the tree was in the back, so I also advised them also to make a safe hiding place for Kitty to go that was close to the tree. They set up a large dog-sized carrier on top of a platform by a back window, and they left that window open too.

I spent the rest of the night agonizing over what I would do in the morning. Melissa checked on Kitty frequently during the night, and at 4:30 in the morning, she heard Kitty meowing from outside the front of the house. Kitty was under the house, and when Melissa went outside, Kitty came straight to her, and they both went inside with a huge sigh of relief. I, too, was very relieved for this happy ending, and I was also happy that I did not need to make a return trip.

I was left wondering if the outcome would have been the same if I had not made a rescue attempt. Was my rescue attempt a waste of time and effort with no effect on the outcome? Did it set the stage for the successful outcome? Did it prevent a worse outcome? I'll never know the answers, of course, and the answers to the same questions may be very different in different cases. So, whether I attempt a rescue on the first day or wait till the next day, I will continue to question if I am doing the right thing.

05/02/2025

Cats are all the same, but every cat is different. Some cats, however, are more different than others, and Sly, the one-year-old Siamese in Pearl River, Louisiana, is among the more different.

Sly had been stuck in a Live Oak tree in his own backyard for one night, and it was clear he was not happy about it. Nor were Ben and Tabitha who were very worried about Sly and explained to me that he is not just a cat to them. He is family. Sly was described to me as friendly, but not the most intelligent of cats. I had a vague sense of what that means, but I didn't think it would have any effect on his rescue.

Sly was in an isolated spot that would be difficult to reach, and that is a problem I often have with Live Oak trees and their far-spreading nature. Since I didn't have a way to climb all the way to him, I was counting on him to live up to his friendly reputation and come to me when I was standing at the base of his limb, but he didn't. When I first climb up to a cat in a tree, some cats are scared and want to get away from me. Some cats are excited to see me and come to me as best they can. Some cats are cautious and sit tight while waiting to gather more information about me. Sly had very little reaction to me at all. He saw me as neither threatening nor helpful. He seemed more interested in taking a nap and viewed me as a harmless and useless distraction. I couldn't get him interested in me. I couldn't get him interested in food. I couldn't get him interested in coming one step closer to me for anything. Somehow, I was going to have to find a way to get closer to him.

I eventually figured out a way to move about five feet away and create a foothold where I could get a little higher and hook a pole over the end of his limb and pull the whole limb closer to me. Now, for the first time, I could barely reach him, and I used that opportunity to properly introduce myself to him and give him some gentle touches. That is usually all it takes for most cats to trust me and then make an effort to come to me, but it made no difference to Sly. I was going to have to pull him off that limb and bag him, and it was then that I realized I had left my cat bag on the ground. Rather than go to the trouble of retrieving the cat bag, I made the mistake of wasting too much time trying to get Sly to walk into the carrier instead. Sly had no clue about what to do with the carrier. It didn't bother him. It didn't attract him.

After I retrieved the cat bag and got back into position, I used a rope to pull Sly's limb over to me and hold it there while I petted him and then gently pulled him off his limb. He was perfectly fine with that and remained docile and quiet the whole time. I took him back down, and after Sly got settled back inside his house, he found a good spot on his cat tree and resumed the nap I had so rudely interrupted.

19/01/2025

You would think that after all the hundreds of cases of cats in trees I have seen that I would be at least a little bit desensitized to the sound of their cry when they are calling out loudly for help, but when I arrived to rescue C**n in Picayune, Mississippi, I found his cry to be one of the most distressing and heart-breaking cries I have ever heard. This nine-month-old tabby was 55 feet high near the top of a tree at the edge of the woods, and he was all alone, helpless, and hopeless after spending two nights there. As you will hear in the video (link in first comment), he cried loudly, emotionally, and persistently, and his cry drove straight into my heart and ignited a powerful, paternal instinct that would stop at nothing to help him.

When his family first found him in the tree after his escape from the house, C**n was lower in the tree, clearly visible, and easily found by following his loud crying. After fruitlessly trying all they knew to get him down, they called me, and I agreed to go there the next day. Later that day, however, they could not find him. He did not appear to be in the tree any longer, and he wasn't crying either. Cats often come down or fall down, so I gave them advice about what to do for a missing indoor cat. That night, they found him. He was still in the same tree, but he had climbed up higher where he found a large nest to use for a safe perch. In the nest, he was hidden from view from below, and he was resting and quiet, so there was no way his family could find him until he poked his head over the edge of the nest into the light of their flashlight, and the glow of his eyes in the darkness told them he was still there.

While climbing the tree was a little challenging, rescuing C**n was pretty easy. He was pretty excited to see me coming up to him, and in the video you can hear the distress in his voice change to excitement when he first sees me below. Once I was close to him, he was friendly and trusting. I was in no position to make a lap for him, but I decided to make another nest for him by spreading the cat bag over my body and the ropes that were holding me to the tree. I lifted him off his limb and held him in my arms over this new nest, and he immediately began to purr. He was feeling safe and secure now as I held and petted him for a minute. It was a little awkward, but I gradually worked all his legs onto the bottom of the bag and pulled the bag up around him to secure him for the ride back down to the ground. Once we were on the ground, I handed him over to Tonya who took him back inside the house. He went straight to the litter box and then happily settled into the comforts of home.

This story teaches valuable lessons for those who are searching for a lost cat. Lesson 1: Missing cats sometimes climb trees, and some of those times, they will settle in an existing nest. Once in the nest, they cannot be seen from the ground, so pay attention to nests when searching trees for your cat. Lesson 2: Cats often move around in the tree. If you find that your cat is not in the same spot where he was earlier, don't assume he is not in the tree. He could be higher, lower, or even in an adjacent tree, so search thoroughly before making any conclusions. Lesson 3: All cats, even very vocal ones, will rest and stop crying for periods of time. They may not even respond to you if they hear you, so you can't rely on them to lead you to them. Lesson 4: Using a strong flashlight at night is sometimes the most effective way to find your cat. Their eyes must be open, and they must be facing your general direction, but their eyes will shine brightly in the darkness. You just need to be sure those eyes belong to your cat and not some other creature.

Link to video in first comment.

10/01/2025

It was five years ago when I rescued Sassy the first time. She was an unknown kitty at that time, but Robin agreed to be responsible for her, and she did all the right things to find the owner. When no owner was found, Robin decided to keep her, and Sassy has lived happily with Robin and her daughter, Millie, ever since. Happily, that is, until she got stuck 25 feet high in a tree in her backyard near Hammond, Louisiana. No one was happy about that, especially when the temperature dropped down to freezing that night. Sassy's beautiful long hair may have helped insulate her from some of the cold, but it wasn't enough to make her comfortable or happy.

Sassy was a sweet, cooperative kitty when I rescued her the first time, and I had no reason to believe she would be any different this second time. I was expecting an easy rescue until I saw the tree. This tree is a nasty mess cluttered with limbs and twigs pointing in every direction, and there were large detached limbs up high that were held in place only by thin, dead limbs that could break at any moment. There were no suitable places to install my rope, so it took me some time and difficulty to get it installed in an unsuitable spot. The climb was unpleasant as I had to push through limbs and remove poking twigs from my nose and ears, but, otherwise, rescuing Sassy was pleasant. She was nervous about me at first, but she calmed down quickly and easily after I gave her a few gentle, reassuring pets. Once I got into a suitable position, she needed only a couple minutes to step on my lap. I had already prepared the cat bag on my lap, so all I had to do was to pull the bag up around her to secure her inside for the slow return to the ground. Millie took Sassy inside and released her there, and now everyone is happy again. I just hope I don't ever have to climb that tree again.

07/01/2025

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 to install my rope, Grover got spooked, jumped several feet down to a lower limb, and walked forty feet out to the end. There was no point in finishing the installation of my rope now. Instead, since he was now much closer to the ground, I thought about simply shaking him off the limb into a tarp being held by Maria and the neighbors. When I shot a line over Grover's limb so I could use it to shake the limb, he got spooked again and went about halfway back toward the trunk. I went back to Plan A and finished installing my rope in the tree at the trunk and planned to climb up to Grover's limb with the expectation that he would respond by going right back out to the end of the limb. Indeed, that is exactly what happened. Even though I was twenty feet away when I stepped on his limb, that was too close for Grover, and he decided to take his chances back at the end of the limb. I went back down to the ground and used the line I had already placed on his limb to shake him out. It didn't take long. Grover wanted to go out on his own control, so he jumped out as far as he could into the wooded area and ran off. It's not the most satisfying or ideal end to his stay in the tree, but it was the best we could do. I never got close to Grover, so I have no pictures of him.

The next morning, I went to rescue Alvis's cat, Mimi, in Baton Rouge. Mimi mysteriously appeared in his yard six months ago as a very small kitten. None of the neighbors knew or claimed this kitten, so Alvis adopted it and named it Mimi on the assumption that it was a female. A few weeks later, it became apparent that this kitten was a male, but the name stuck, and that is why we have a boy named Mimi. Mimi doesn't care.

Mimi was now up a tree at the corner of his own backyard because the neighbor's dog actually jumped the fence and chased him. Mimi was lucky to escape, but he was now stuck in the tree, and Alvis was very distressed about it. Mimi is normally a friendly guy, but the noises and movements I made climbing up to him made him a little nervous. Once I was close to him, I could see him thinking about climbing higher, so I slowed down and gave him the reassurance he needed to calm down and trust me. Once that was done, we were buddies. Since he had a history of positive experiences with a carrier, I held my carrier up to him fully expecting him to walk inside without any reservation, but that didn't happen. He wasn't afraid of it, but he wouldn't walk inside. I put food in the back of the carrier, and he still would not go inside. After some more reassurances, I gave him one more try, and this time, he walked in. With him safely inside the carrier, I took him down and gave him to Alvis who took him inside the house. Alvis had been very worried about Mimi and had stayed up all night trying to find a way to get him down, so it was rewarding to see how relieved and relaxed he was now that the crisis was finally over. Mimi is safe at home, so, hopefully, Alvis can now get some rest.

03/01/2025

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.

31/12/2024

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 investigated and then called me. He was told that the cat had been stuck there for five days, but I don't know who told him and have no way to verify it. The timing was terrible since severe weather was forecast, but it appeared that I would have enough time to get this kitty down before it arrived.

I was encouraged by the way the cat spoke to me when I first arrived, but I would soon be disappointed in the tree to see him walk farther out his very long limb to get away from me. I could not persuade him to come any closer to me, so the only option I had was to set a trap for him in the tree. By the time I finished setting the trap, rain began to fall, but the severe weather was still far away, and I didn't expect this shower to last long. I went back to my car, out of the cat's sight, where I could wait and watch for him to go into the trap. Usually, cats go in the trap within thirty minutes, but this boy wasn't moving. Fortunately, I met some concerned and friendly neighbors who had a good view of the trap, so they watched it for me and offered to call me as soon as they notice any change. I went home and waited for their call.

The short shower was indeed short, but it was followed by an endless line of other short showers. I wasn't expecting this much rain so soon, and I was concerned about it washing away the food trail I made leading into the trap as well as filling the food container in the back of the trap thereby removing any incentive for the cat to go inside. As more and more time passed without a call, it was now clear that this cat was going to be stuck in the tree overnight and during the severe weather. Indeed, that is what happened. I was worried that the weather itself would trigger the trap door closed, and I would have to go through this all over again the next day. I wasn't feeling optimistic about this case, but then I got a late-night message from one of the neighbors: he is in the trap. I was very happy and relieved to hear that, but I was also sorry that the cat had to suffer through the storm.

The weather was calm the next morning, and I went out there to bring him down. He wasn't happy, but I sure was happy to see him stuck in the trap (picture below). All the neighbors reported seeing him in the neighborhood frequently for a long time, but no one knew if he had an owner. I found no Lost Cat posts or signs, and he did not have a microchip, so I decided it would be best to just turn him loose. One of the neighbors asked me if they could have the cat, so if the cat is homeless, I'm sure they will take him in.

The same afternoon, I got a call about a sweet, six-month-old, orange tabby girl named Tiger who was stuck in a Pine tree in her front yard in Watson. She had been in the tree only twelve hours at most, so she was not there during the storm. Friendly kitties like Tiger in an easy tree make for an easy rescue. However, I made one mistake. I forgot to bring my cat bag with me, and I intentionally left the carrier on the ground because I didn't expect to need it. When Tiger came to me, and I reached for my cat bag that wasn't there, I had only one option. I brought her down on my lap. It wasn't ideal, but we made it work, and this cutie is safe and happy back home again.

28/12/2024

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 that he might actually be able to pull it off.

Simon's timing was not good, not only in terms of his vet appointment, but also because of the Christmas holidays. Cats don't care about holidays, and this is the third time as best I can remember that I have done a rescue on Christmas day, and, ironically, one of those was for the cat I have rescued eight times. Simon's family asked only if I could rescue him the day after Christmas, but I volunteered to bring that sweet boy down early so he would not have to spend three nights in the tree. I don't mind. Traffic is certainly better on Christmas day.

While I had some trouble and frustration getting my rope installed in the tree, Simon, as usual, was very cooperative and easy to rescue. He was at the top of a double-stem Sweetgum tree, and when I climbed up to him, it was as if he had been expecting me. We got reacquainted, and then I picked him up and placed him on my lap where I had already spread the bottom of the cat bag. He settled in calmly and was very patient with me as I struggled to get the sides of the bag out from under him so I could pull it up around him. He didn't mind. He trusted me fully and knew he would soon be home where the food is. He and his family are all happy and safe at home, but I know he is eyeing that door and waiting for another opportunity to burst out into the fascinating outdoor world again.

26/12/2024

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 the 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 way up to her. As I was focused on preparing my large slingshot and line to shoot over that limb in the tree, I heard Christie gasp. I looked up to see the blur of a small white ball falling through the tree and bouncing off one limb after another like a ball in a pinball machine before plopping down hard on the ground about ten feet from me. She had tried once again to come down head-first on her own but lost her footing and fell all the way to the ground. Standing there on the ground looking stunned was a kitten I guessed to be about seven weeks old. She was so much smaller on the ground than she appeared to be up high in the tree.

I have seen cats jump or fall from great heights many times, and each time the cat took off running as soon as he hit the ground. That is not a guarantee that the cat is uninjured, but it's a good sign. They can certainly be injured by a fall, but I have yet to see it happen, and I am amazed at how often it happens and how well the cats appear to survive it without harm. This kitten, however, did not run. She stood there still and dazed, but otherwise appeared to be fine. I was facing her but did not move toward her because I didn't want to scare her away. I spoke to her a minute to reassure her and then began to move slowly and indirectly toward her. When I was only a few feet away, she ran toward the base of the tree and tried to hide between two buttresses. I walked over there to her and could see that she had p**p hanging from her back end. She stood motionless there, clearly afraid, so I spent some calm time with her giving her some gentle pets until she began to relax. I picked up her tiny body, held her in my arms, and felt a strong emotional connection forming inside me while giving her more gentle pets until she was fully relaxed and felt safe.

Now that she felt safe with us, I put her down on the ground, and Christie tried to give her some food. She showed no interest in eating, probably due, I thought, to the stress of the moment and the physical trauma of the fall. She looked like she needed more time to recover, but I also wondered if she might have some physical injuries that we can't see. Christie had already agreed to take responsibility for the cat, and she had already arranged to take her to the local shelter, CARA's House, where they said they would have a veterinarian examine her. I confidently left her in Christie's care, packed my gear, and left feeling thankful for people like Christie who notice a cat in need, feel compassion for it, and go to the trouble to help it.

Christie took the kitten to CARA's House and learned that someone had called there earlier looking for a missing kitten that perfectly fit the description of this kitten. The owners came a short while later, claimed the kitten who they had named Marshmallow, and took her straight to their veterinarian. I was so happy to hear that, not only was Marshmallow seeing a veterinarian, but also that she was being reunited with her family. I felt good about this outcome, but without a connection with the owners, I would not be able to get any updates to this kitten's story, and I knew next to nothing about where she lived, how she escaped, or exactly how long she was in the tree.

During my waking moments of the next morning, I was thinking about this kitten and feeling a bit of worry about her condition. I thought about how she just stood there looking stunned when she landed on the ground, how she lost control of her bowel, her lack of interest in food, and her limited energy level once she felt safe on the ground. I felt troubled, and I felt regret that I did not take her to the veterinarian right away. In spite of my concerns, I assumed she was recovering well, and I was not prepared when I got a message from Christie a few hours later: Marshmallow died.

I felt as stunned as Marshmallow was when she landed so hard on the ground. I had no explanation and knew no details, but that didn't matter at this moment. The pain of that loss began to boil up inside me with more intensity than I could explain for a kitten I knew only 15 minutes. Why does this hurt so badly? Why am I crying so hard? She was just a small, furry ball of pure innocence. This is just wrong. She was only seven weeks old and spent two or three days of that being stuck in a tree. Such a sweet, young creature does not deserve a tragedy like this. Yet, tragedy happens. It always has and always will. Bad things can happen to good, innocent creatures, and that's a reality I often have trouble accepting. So, here I am facing this painful fact once again, this time, for an adorable kitten whose only fault was being born with the wrong natural instincts: one for climbing down the wrong way, and another for being impatient. If she had waited for me, I could have rescued her safely.

Christie and I both failed to get any close pictures of Marshmallow while we had her on the ground, but Christie did get one picture from the owner who was holding Marshmallow in her lap at the veterinarian's office just moments before she died. I don't know the details, but I assume she was euthanized because of severe internal injuries. I try not to look at this picture because it hurts too much, but it's the only picture I have of her other than the white dot in the tree.

One of the things I like most about what I do and the rescue stories I write is that it is almost always a feel-good story. You read the story, and you feel good about it. A cat gets stuck in a tree, the cat and owner are suffering, the cat gets rescued, everybody is safe and lives happily ever after. This is not one of those stories, and I debated about sharing it, especially during this Christmas season. On one hand, I did absolutely nothing to rescue her, I don't count it as a rescue and, therefore, have nothing to report. No one wants to read such a sad story anyway. On the other hand, it was a cat stuck in a tree, I was there, and this is an example of the potential for tragedy that is lurking under every case. I know this is not a fun story to read, but this is the rare, dark reality behind all the other stories that makes them feel so good, and I feel an obligation to be honest. I don't like it, but it's the truth.

Now when I say good-night to my own cat, I am thankful that no tragedy fell upon him today, and I remember poor Marshmallow who reminds me that life is not fair and tomorrow can't be taken for granted.

Cat Rescue Guy

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