18/09/2025
Charlene was immensely relieved and proud. After spending the past two years trying in vain to trap a feral cat who had already had two litters of kittens and was now pregnant with a third, and after spending all that time trying to earn the cat's trust enough to let her pet her while she ate, Charlene finally had a chance to grab the cat by the scruff and stuff her inside a carrier for a trip to the veterinarian. Hooray! Success at last! She had already trapped, spayed, neutered, and returned all the other cats in the colony in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, but this one mama cat was the last holdout because she was far too wary to go into a trap or get too close to Charlene. But Charlene had her now, so off to the clinic they went.
Charlene is one of several saintly people I have met over the past several years who voluntarily manage multiple colonies of feral cats in various locations. They trap the cats to have them all spayed, neutered, and vaccinated, return them to their territory, and feed them daily. They work at odd hours during good weather and bad, and they travel alone to locations where they often feel unsafe. They get to know each and every cat and come to love each one like family. They never have a day off, and they do it all quietly without anyone's knowledge, recognition, or appreciation. They are essentially performing what should be a larger city-parish service that benefits the entire community, and they do it all at their own expense with the help of some low-cost spay-neuter programs. Someday, I would love to see the community honor these people in a meaningful way for their selfless and valuable service.
When Charlene arrived at the clinic, she picked up the large cat carrier by the top handle and proceeded to take it inside, but just as she reached for the door, the door to the carrier popped loose, and the cat burst out of the carrier and climbed up a nearby Crape Myrtle tree. Charlene was heartsick, and she worried that the cat would run away and be forever lost. She had no way to regain control over the cat, so she asked the clinic staff for help. They brought out a net and ladder but when they tried to capture the cat, she fell out of the tree and ran across the parking lot to a large Oak tree and climbed it. She settled on a spot about 30 feet high directly over the entrance to the clinic by a fast four-lane highway. The cat was safe for now, and Charlene knew where she was, but she had no way to get her. The clinic staff referred her to me.
I was unavailable that morning and could not get there right away, but when Charlene asked me for advice, I told her that if I were in her shoes, I would not let the cat out of my sight. If the cat came down or fell down while she was not looking, she would likely never see it again. Charlene did exactly that, and was still watching her when I arrived two hours later.
This was the most dreadful rescue scenario I have ever had: a mostly-feral pregnant cat in prey mode, displaced far from home, in a Live Oak tree where she has plenty of room to move away from me, next to a very loud and fast highway, and the cat is directly over the center of the paved clinic entrance from the highway. Since the cat is displaced, she needs to be secured in some way. Normally, with scared or feral cats, setting a trap in the tree is the best solution, but I have had three displaced-cat cases just like this where trapping failed because the cat somehow got out of the tree during the night without ever touching the trap and was never seen again. I have learned that leaving traps overnight doesn't work in this situation, and this cat in particular has already proven that she will not go in one. The only other method I had to secure this cat was the catch-pole, and I don't like to use it, especially on feral cats who are sure to struggle and fight it. It is very difficult, sometimes impossible, to transfer a struggling cat from the catch-pole into a net, and it's not a pretty sight, nor is it fun. I was dreading doing that, but it was my only option, so I prepared the catch-pole and net on the ground to pull up to me once I was in position in the tree. I was not feeling optimistic, and I warned Charlene about all the possible outcomes while I was privately expecting the worst.
I didn't think the cat would allow me to get close enough to reach her even with the fully-extended catch-pole, but I had to try. I approached her as gently as I could, talked sweetly, didn't stare at her, gave her a bunch of slow blinks, and I even offered her some food. I knew she would not respond to the food, but I wanted her to view me in a friendly light, and, besides, sometimes a miracle happens. Indeed, the miracle did not happen, but she did not go farther out the limb as I had expected. She continued to stay in the same area, but she was also clearly thinking about going farther away. I was surprised to see that she was allowing me to get much closer than I expected. I was only a few feet away and in easy range to use the catch-pole, but there were so many limbs between us and around us that I would not be able to manipulate a long pole. Even if I could snare her, she would grab every limb in the vicinity, and it would be even more difficult than usual to transfer her to a net. I didn't know what to do. She was just over an arm's length away, and I fantasized about getting her to come closer for the food and bagging her. That probably would not have gone well, but a guy can dream, can't he.
Thankfully, Jeanie, from the clinic, came out and joined Charlene on the ground to hold a net under the cat in case she fell. They had to stand in the middle of the clinic entrance where cars on the fast highway could turn quite quickly with little warning, so I was concerned about them but also very happy to have them there since a fall was a strong possibility. To catch a falling cat, you can use a blanket or tarp, but cats are very quick to exit it right after the landing, so it's extremely difficult to secure the cat inside. That may be fine for outdoor cats in their own territory but not for a displaced cat who needs to be secured. That is why I told them to use my netting instead. When a cat lands in a net, he can't get solid footing to escape quickly, so it is much easier for the net holders to wrap the cat inside. I am so glad they were there and staying under the cat, because, as I was trying to figure out what to do with this cat, the cat started to move and lose her footing. Her back end slipped off the limb, but she was barely holding on with her claws. I instinctively reached out to see if I could lift her rear end back up on the limb, but she was just out of my reach. At the same time, I was also thinking that it would be best if she fell. I guess her pregnant belly was a bit too much weight to hold, because as soon as I thought about it, she lost her grip and fell. She passed through a few thin limbs and then landed in the center of the net. Jeanie and Charlene were ready, and they wrapped her up inside the net securely and took her inside the clinic. It was an amazing and beautiful sight to see, and I am so sorry my camera was not on at the time to record that dramatic moment. I have often had people on the ground try to catch a falling cat, and, honestly, they usually do a poor job of it. It's hard to do, but Jeanie and Charlene handled it like professionals as if they do this several times every day. It was also fortunate that they could take the cat directly inside the clinic where she could be sedated while still in the net instead of trying to untangle a very agitated cat from the net while transferring her into a carrier.
It wasn't until after it was all over that I learned the cat's name. Charlene calls her Hookah Mama because of the street and neighborhood where the cat lives. Hookah Mama was spayed that day and returned to her home territory the following morning. This picture shows her just minutes before her release, and it is the only picture I have of her because I failed to turn on my camera for the entire rescue.
As if this rescue story isn't already long enough, I would like to use this case as an example to alert everyone to a serious problem with transporting cats in any hard carrier. Charlene's experience with her cat escaping the carrier is a very common one, and it is preventable. This happens much too frequently, and it often results in a displaced cat who is lost forever. When you hold a carrier by the top handle, the cat's weight can distort the carrier enough for the door to pop out of its hinge, especially when the cat places his weight near the hinge. I explain the problems and solutions in detail in a webpage ( link in first comment ) addressed to tree-climbers who rescue cats in trees, but the bottom half of that page is applicable to the general public. In short, my advice is to cut off the top handle so that you are never tempted to use it and always either hold the carrier underneath using two arms or rig it as explained so that you can carry it from above while the rigging supports it from beneath. Please heed this warning. It can save your cat's life and save you a heap of stress and trouble.
