LymeNet Flash: cat stuck 60 ft up tree for SEVEN days-ideas??

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Posted by cindy_leigh (Member # 3514) on :

My daughter's 2 yr old cat, Regis, has been up a tree for 7 days. He was at ~50 ft for the first few days, now has climbed to 6o ft.

The tree has no branches untilt he 50 foot point. We have tried a long ladder (28 ft) and the pool skimmer/net. Way short. We tried spraying him with the hose to "annoy" him down. WE put tuna under the tree.

I called the vet and animal control, and both say, "you never see a cat skeleton in a tree", he'll come down when he wants to. I find it hard to believe he does not want to! He cries pitifully all the time.

He has been thru 2 thunderstorms, good thing, it's probably his only source of water, licking his wet fur.

Husband and son tried cutting down the closest tree to lean againstit to give him a bridge, but it fell wrong, and the only thinkg that happened was about 50 bats flew out!

The tree is in the woods, not near the street or driveway, not on level land. Can't get a tree service or fire dept cherry picker in there, even if they would still do it (it's a myth that fire depts rescue cats!!)

Any ideas?

Cindy

Posted by Ann-OH (Member # 2020) on :

Maybe if you could somehow put some food part-way up the tree, the cat would feel safe coming down that far to get it. It sounds like something chased the cat up the tree and it is afraid to come down.

Maybe if you went up a ladder and pounded in a nail and hung pail with food at the bottom, you could get it to go into the pail.
Or maybe not.

Here is a book that might be of some help:
entertainment-books.mainseek.com/-49061-1931686335-0-The-Good-Deed-Guide-How-to-Rescue-a-Cat-from-a-Tree-Change-a-Flat-Tire-Remove-a-Splinter-and-Other-Essential-Acts-of-Kindness.h tml

Good luck!
Ann - OH

Posted by WIZARD (Member # 4597) on :

Most large tree service companies have tree climbers who may (for a fee, of course) climb and bring the cat down. It might be worth a few calls.

Good luck
Wizard (a cat lover)

Posted by lookin4answers (Member # 4974) on :

Ok, this sounds so funny, not funny haha, but funny odd that you tell this.

I say this because years ago we had a cat about 3 yrs old (who lived to be 12) do the very same thing.

Tree was too high up in the back yard where nothing could get to her, but it seems as though she was only there for about 3-4 days.

Well, I am not sure who came up with the bright (?) idea of this, but here goes.

Our cousin had a beebee gun and several of us were standing below with a big blanket.
She finally got enough shot at her she fell out, not hurt.

Only you may want to stand closer to the tree than we did, cuz she missed it by about a foot or so. Anyway, she was fine, but mad a bee line to the woods to pee.

I did wind up pulling a pellet out of her rump area, but all was well.

Weird, huh? Good Luck!
I would try the idea from Wizard first, it may work better.
Maybe even get it in the local paper.

I must say to all of you that the last 3 cats my mom and I have had were 16yrs, 15yrs, and 12yrs. We love cats too, and would want no harm to come to anyones animals!!

[This message has been edited by lookin4answers (edited 18 June 2004).]

Posted by lymewarrior03 (Member # 3891) on :

guess it's just myth that firemen come to the rescue??

electric company...with those "cherry pickers"

ooh weee i'm full of good ideas tonite

Posted by beach4so (Member # 3832) on :

I wish I had some wonderful idea for ya'll. The cat wouldn't be the only one crying, I would be right under that tree with it.

I have 3 cats, 1 that is 11, 1 that is 9 and a brand new 7 week old kitten we have been bottle feeding since it is 5 days old.

My prayers go to ya'll, let us know how he is doing.

Hugs
Starr

Posted by Larkspur (Member # 5131) on :

My 2 suggestions would be to call a tree service/aborist or a lumberjack/logger co. I believe both have tree climbers who could scale your tree without needing a big truck or large machinery.
If you go this route have them put regis in a pillow case (and hold it closed) just for the trip down so he doesn't jump out of the rescuers arms at 50 ft.
Good luck at please let us know your progress.

Posted by rosesisland2000 (Member # 2001) on :

This same thing happened to our cat years ago, 1986 or so...she has since passed away.

She was missing for days and I looked and looked for her. Finally, while looking one day, I heard a faint meow. I looked up into a tree just as you described and there she was.

This was in our backyard and no way to get equipment in there to get her out.

So, my cousin took a BB gun or pellet rifle, and we just shot her out of the tree. My daughter and I stood under the tree with a blanket and when she fell, she missed the blanket and landed flat.

She immediately ran to the woods in back of the house and I found her there relieving herself. We picked the BB out of her hip and it didn't even break the skin.

She went on to live many, many years longer and I had to put her down in 1995 due to her not recovering from a hurricane that came through the island where we were living at the time.

I am not advacating you shooting your cat, but, just telling you what worked for us when our can got stuck up a tree without any lower branches...it was a pine tree.

Rosemary

editing here to say that I didnt' read my daughter's account of this before I wrote my acount, LOL!!!

[This message has been edited by rosesisland2000 (edited 19 June 2004).]

Posted by cindy_leigh (Member # 3514) on :

Thanks, everyone, for the ideas. I did call a tree service eysterday, but they wre not in, left a msg. i was hoping they have a "climber", since due to the terrain, we could never get a cherry picker close enough.

He's still up there this morning, moving, but not meowing any more. LEts see, last night was his... 8th night.

We have two cats, we adopted them from the (Not So) Humane Society at the same time. Serena is a little bitty puff of a tortie calico. They are not littermates, but we got them at the same time, when they were about 7 weeks old. They are inseparable.

She has stationed herself at the base of the tree and just cries up at him. I have had to pull her off the tree, she tries to climb it. It's pitiful.

BUT, 2 nights ago we could not find her. Oh no, more cat problems! Finally in the early morning hours we heard a racket in the garage, where we keep the door open for her. Son goes out there, and comes flying back in the house-- "Serena brought another cat home, she is in the garage with a black cat!!". The wanton hussy ditched Regis for another cat!! (Maybe she thought that would bring Regis down!!)

Cindy

Posted by just don (Member # 1129) on :

It does seem your cat has been in that tree longer than I thought they would stay there. I always thought they could climb down same as climbing up.
My only thought would be check with your vet, or several around, and find a tranquillizer gun. Check to see 'IF' it will shoot that high or else you may have to use that shorter ladder. Or get a much longer ladder from somewhere to get close enough for a good shot. One of those big blue tarps makes a better landing area than a blanket because you dont have any idea where they are coming down for sure. Blanket is just too small.
One question comes to mind. Is this cat fully equipped with claws or front or completely declawed? Might be why he cant come down. Hate to see animals in duress too. Once risked my life on very thin ice in an effort to save a dog from perishing after the guy helping me had already fallen thru and had left me alone to dry and warm up.
Just had another thought. Is there any small diameter trees of that height there? Can you cut and clean one so to provide the bridge down? OR you could go and find or buy like 80-90 feet of 2X4's and screw/nail them together as you guide it up the tree to support the weight so the cat has an angled slope instead of straight up and down. Might have to prop that short laddeer part way up to support the bow in it. Whatever you do it is not going to be real easy. Good luck!!! Let us know, please.

Posted by ConnieMc (Member # 191) on :

Our cat was up in a tree for 3 days, and we finally visited a neighbor to borrow a long ladder. Much to our surprise, we put the ladder up against the tree to climb up, but didn't have to as the cat immediately climbed right down the ladder. Wish we had a pic of that. It happened a few more times, and the same thing happened. She acted as if she was relieved that we finally put the ladder up there so she could come down. Like she was waiting for us to do it.

You can never figure out a cat!!

Posted by WildCondor on :

The Fire Department wouldnt help you? thats odd. Where's Superman when you need him?

I would get a high powered hose and spray it down! It worked for me! have something to catch him when he falls/if he falls.
Tree climbing spikes are another good idea.
As the phone company maybe, someone with one of those buckets.
Good luck!!

------------------
Lyme Disease Help
http://www.wildcondor.com

Posted by panther (Member # 5348) on :

This sounds cruel, but I guarantee it will be effective. First, hook up a hose and start spraying the cat. After an hour, if this doesn't work, get some gasoline and burn the tree down. Do you know anyone who owns a flamethrower? Your cat will do what it needs to do to get out of this tree! You could also try cutting the tree down.

quote:
Originally posted by cindy_leigh:
My daughter's 2 yr old cat, Regis, has been up a tree for 7 days. He was at ~50 ft for the first few days, now has climbed to 6o ft.
The tree has no branches untilt he 50 foot point. We have tried a long ladder (28 ft) and the pool skimmer/net. Way short. We tried spraying him with the hose to "annoy" him down. WE put tuna under the tree.
I called the vet and animal control, and both say, "you never see a cat skeleton in a tree", he'll come down when he wants to. I find it hard to believe he does not want to! He cries pitifully all the time.
He has been thru 2 thunderstorms, good thing, it's probably his only source of water, licking his wet fur.
Husband and son tried cutting down the closest tree to lean againstit to give him a bridge, but it fell wrong, and the only thinkg that happened was about 50 bats flew out!
The tree is in the woods, not near the street or driveway, not on level land. Can't get a tree service or fire dept cherry picker in there, even if they would still do it (it's a myth that fire depts rescue cats!!)
Any ideas?
Cindy

Posted by ArtistDi (Member # 2297) on :

A long time ago when I was a kid, the same
thing happened to my cat. We called the
fire dept, and they came to get the cat
down.

Posted by danq (Member # 2126) on :

I vote for the arborist. It will cost you, but it will be far safer (for everyone) than some of the above suggestions.

By the way, a good arborist will never climb a live tree using spikes, unless the tree is to be removed. That's because spikes wound the tree with every step; and disease and decay organisms can invade the tree at each of those wounds. Often the disease organisms come from... the spikes (via other trees climbed).

Dan
(Certified Arborist)

[This message has been edited by danq (edited 20 June 2004).]

Posted by pab (Member # 904) on :

Cindy,

Any update?

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Posted by cindy_leigh (Member # 3514) on :

just a quick note-- cat is down, he came down while we were in Newport for father's day. Not injured, very skinny, very hungry. Thanks for all the ideas, more later, Cindy

Posted by lookin4answers (Member # 4974) on :

GLAD TO HEAR THAT!!

That is the longest I have ever heard of a cat being in a tree! Bet it will stay close to the house and does not climb a tree for a very long time!

Posted by cbb (Member # 788) on :

So glad Regis finally climbed down the tree.

Just wondering-
Is Serena's new friend, the black cat, still hanging around?
I guess Regis was too hungry & tired to worry about that for now.