It was a quick rescue if you don't count the two hours it took me to set up. Once I got up in the tree with Kitty, it took only one minute to get this one-year-old, Russian Blue down. Actually, Kitty did all the work by rescuing herself. She took one look at me so close to her and said, "I'm outta here!" Even though her escape path required that she go toward me and step on my hand and foot, she was determined to get away from me. As she passed by me, I put one hand on her back while she hissed and uttered something unprintable. She turned to go down the long, angled stem head-first, and the only way she could control her descent was to slide on her belly with her left legs on one side of the stem and her right legs on the other. The slide down must not have been pleasant with the rough bark of the tree rubbing against her belly, but she didn't seem to mind. That was a small price to pay for her safe escape and freedom. Once she reached the bottom of the stem, she was still too high to jump to the ground, so she pondered her options. She settled on jumping to the roof of the next-door neighbor's storage building, and, from there, she jumped to the ground. To get back home, she went to the back part of the yard, climbed the fence and jumped down to her own back yard. She hid under the storage building there until I was long gone and it felt safe to emerge. She is safely back home now and happy as a clam. So is her family. They all suffered more than Kitty did even though Kitty was the one stuck in a tree for one long, cold night.
Webpage: https://www.catrescueguy.com/2022/12/kitty.html
Video: https://youtu.be/JzKRijGnnqI
Mia's Rescue
I could tell right away that Mia was going to be a sweet and easy cat to rescue by the way she looked at me on the ground below and begged for help. And I was right. Mia was indeed a sweet and easy cat to rescue. This six-month-old, dilute calico had been stuck in this tree in her backyard in Denham Springs, Louisiana for two nights, and she was so anxious to get out of that tree that she jumped down onto my lap before I was ready for her. So the cat was easy, but the tree was problematic. It took me longer than usual, but I found a way to reach her safely and bring her back down to the ground to her much-relieved family.
Full story: https://www.catrescueguy.com/2022/12/mia.html
YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/8lvYlSI7VBU
When Taylor told me that her cat, Nash, would not let her touch him, I became very concerned. A few months ago, Nash came out of the woods behind her rural home in Baker, Louisiana and made an appearance for the first time. Taylor and Rick have been feeding him these few months, but, despite that, Nash was not comfortable being close to them or anyone. Now, Nash was stuck about 20 feet high in a tree, and I was concerned about how I was going to rescue such a fearful cat.
Once I arrived and saw where he was in the tree and how limited his movement was, I decided it would be best to climb on the opposite side of the tree out of his sight and to get above him before he saw me for the first time. If he saw me coming upward toward him, he would surely climb higher, and I did not want to chase him to the tips of the tree where he would likely fall or jump in his effort to get away from me. I thought my chance of getting above him undetected was good, because I have often been surprised to notice that cats just don't seem to notice me. Sometimes, even when I want them to see me, I have difficulty getting their attention. So I quietly climbed the tree on the opposite side of the trunk and did not reveal myself until I was above him where I could block any attempt he might make to climb higher. He reacted as expected and wanted to get away from me, and the only way he could do that was to go down. And down he went. That smart boy quickly learned how to climb down a tree backwards and in control. Once he was within a few feet of the ground, he jumped and landed on the mattress that had been placed there in case he fell. After I left, he returned to the back porch where he chowed down with his ear-tipped sibling. I hope Nash remembers this new skill he just learned.
Webpage: http://www.catrescueguy.com/2022/11/nash.html
This is the sweet little guy I last rescued from a tree (see below) a few days ago. His original owner has not responded to any of the many attempts to contact him and apparently does not want him. He is at CAA (caabr.org) right now and is available for adoption as of today. I went to see him today, and he is currently sharing a showroom with one other kitty that I think he does not like. He appears insecure there right now, and is spending most of his time hiding under the steps in the corner of the room. But he comes out for me when I visit, and he continues to push his head into my hand like he did in the tree and as shown in the video. He is such a sweet boy, but he may need some time to feel secure in a new home. He is beautiful, very soft to touch, and a sweet, gentle boy. He is almost five years old and in need of a home where he can learn what it means to be appreciated, valued and loved. His CAA impound number is 119006.
UPDATE: This boy has been adopted!
I love to rescue cool kitties like Baby, the sweet, four-month-old brown tabby girl who was stuck for one night in a tree in her yard in Covington. She was never scared, cautious, worried or excited. She simply watched me climb up to her as if this were a routine part of her day, and she appeared almost bored when I greeted her and made friends with her. No, there was no need for an increase in heart rate or energy level just because some stranger decided to join her in a tree, but she did perk up slightly when I invited her into an open carrier. She stepped inside the carrier with no trouble, and I closed the door and brought her down. Just another routine day at the office for Baby.
Webpage: http://www.catrescueguy.com/2021/12/baby.html
About three weeks ago, on March 24, I posted about rescuing an unknown calico from a tree just off the interstate. We named her Willow. Since that day, I fostered that little girl while getting her spayed and vaccinated and ready for adoption. During that time, we both became very bonded with each other. She is such a sweetheart. She followed me everywhere I went and loved to be either on me or close to me at all times. Yesterday, the time came to let her go, and, with pain in my heart, I put her in the van to be transported along with several other cats to a rescue group in Colorado and, eventually, her new permanent home. I have done this fostering routine several times now, and you would think it would get easier, but it doesn't. In fact, it seems to just get harder to do. So the house is a lot quieter and cleaner now, my lap is empty, and there is something missing in my chest. It is amazing just how powerful a little five-pound furball can be. But it is best for her to find a new, permanent home, and I want to thank Regina Gonzales for arranging the transport and Tim Hebert for getting the cats there so quickly, safely and with great care.
In Willow's honor, I want to share a very short video of her. I have always loved to watch cats when they are getting ready to pounce on something. I love the way they wiggle their butt as they shift their weight several times from one back leg to the other to plant them firmly before they pounce. I call it the pre-pounce butt wiggle. Well, Willow did that as well and often as any cat I have ever seen, and I managed to catch it on video a few times.