Here I Come To Save The Day!

Monday; March 7, 2005; 4:30pm.
This is the time that I got the call. A friend from church, who is married to an animal rehabilitator, called to ask me a huge favor, "Can you possibly rescue one of our cats? He's about 50' up, and he's been there for at least 4 days". Turns out his wife was really worried about the poor critter, and on the way to check on it another of her cats ran under her truck and was killed. Her anxiety level did not decrease when the national weather service started issuing severe thunderstorm warnings for the areas surrounding us.
Keep in mind that I work an office job; nice slacks, highly polished wingtips with leather soles, and a drycleaned, heavily starched buttonup shirt was the wardrobe selection of the day. Keep in mind also that I work until 6:30 in the evening, and since they live 30min away I knew I'd have almost no light to work in.

Keep in mind too that I am a treeclimbing FREAK! I said "Of Course!"

I arrived about 10 minutes before sundown. I pulled a pair of gortex pants, that I use when paddling, over my slacks, and swapped the buttonup for a windbreaker. The shoes would just have to do. Just before the sun dropped behind the treeline I made a throw that unfortunatly set up a great climb, but spooked the cat higher into the tree. He stopped about 75'-80' up.

I pulled on my helmet and headlamp, strapped into my saddle, and proceeded to hip-thrust my way up to my TIP. What a joy! This cat had picked the perfect tree! Only problem was that he was way up in the limbs as big around as my wrist.

I must have had inspiration from God, as I know my friends were praying away the rain, and my throws and climbing were almost automatic. I couldn't believe how well the climb went, I still marvel at the beauty of it.

The wind picked up of the nearby resevoir, carrying with it the sounds of the eagles voices that hunt only 100's of feet away from our perch. Knowing one of those guys could snatch him right out of the tree at any moment added motivation to my skills even with my hightened speed given the storm coming.

The tree swayed crazily in the high winds, but both the cat and I held on for the ride. "The Big Kahuna", I yelled down, suggesting a name for the cat that they just called "Kitty". "This guy is seriously hanging 20!" I admit I was grinning ear to ear, and raising a cackling laugh every time I swayed with the wind. I was loving it.

I got to within 10' of the poor guy, and I could tell that he was in a world of hurt. Dehydration and lack of food showed, and he shook, I assume with fear. I recieved hisses and growls though, when ever I tried to come near him, so the owner suggested I encourage him lightly in the right direction with a cane pole. I was counting on covering and bagging the cat on his way down. Kitty responded nicely to encouragement from gentle taps on his head and rear from the pole, and I even got him to come down to within 5' feet. I moved to stabilize, and to grab the bag and blanket as the cat jumped to a higher branch. He had a quite crazed look, so I thought "try one more time and then give up". I reached to nudge him with the pole once again and he made to come down, but he jumped instead.

I watched as the hurtled towards the ground, grabbing each branch on the way down. Though it looked like a continued jump to the earth, it sounded like an uncontrolled fall, as he thrashed his way to the ground. I heard him hit the leaves, and sprint away into the darkness, avoiding climbing anymore trees thankfully.

I descended, greatly concerned for my fluffy tree surfing companion, and sat up all night worried.

That night we had a tornado touch down just south of there, damaging several buildings, and uprooting trees in the general area. But thanks to their prayers, my time in the tree was completly dry, and safe.

I got an update tonight Wednesday 3-9-05. The cat has returned home. "He looked really thin, and quite haggard, but he is in good shape." No broken bones, and he is behaving as if he is not to traumatized.

So I got a good result despite the bad end to the climb. Plus I got a really great climb, and an invitation to climb round there any time I want!

I think it's time to develop some tools for subduing, and securing tabbys in trees. I see alot of this in my future, I HOPE!

Climb Safe!
Icabod

Icabod,

Welcome to the cat club. I do about 3 cat rescues a month, and it truly is its own Martial Art form that I call "Cat Bag Do". Here are a few pointers that seem to make getting "fluffy" out of the tree eaiser:
1) I ask how long the cats been up, if it hasn't been up for at least 3 days I tell them to call back. (Most cats will come down after the first night, on the second day most cats are runners and they will take off away from you going out to the tippy tabby top or jump to a near by tree)
2) When I arrive at the scene (and there usually is quite a scene) I find out the cats name and start talking to it in english and cat tounge - Meeeeooow
(letting it get familiar with myself and my voice)
3) Some times its harder to keep the cat owner at bay than it is to get the cat out of the tree if this is the case (and you'll know within 2 min.) I have the cat owner and their friends grab a bed sheet to hold under the cat incase the cat falls. I've never had a cat fall - this is designed to give the owner something to do and let you do your work.
4) I try to set my line high above fluffy, last thing you want to do is have to advance higher once you're aloft. The quick sudden movment of a throw bag flying really freaks the cat out. Use a big shot if you can't throw that high.
5) I will SRT up the rope taking with me a pillow case or one of NewTribes rope bags (the rope bags are quite a bit tougher and I've seen cats shread pillow cases), a can of the cats favorite food - cat owner should supply this DO NOT OPEN THE CAN ON THE GROUND(dry food doesn't work as well), and I always wear a long sleeve shirt - to protect my tattoos. I SRT because it's alot smoother in the canopy for the cat.
6) The whole time I'm setting my entry line Im talking to the cat Meeeeooooowww and calling it by its name - "Fluffy, fluffy here fluffy fluffy"
7) As I climb I'm still talking to the cat and climbing really slow- Im building a realtionship with our furry friend. I will climb above Fluffy and then switch over to DRT. I have found out that if you go for the cat from below he will go further out on the branch but if you descend down to him and he's already watched you climb up and past him there seems to be abit more trust on his side. (I don't know why)
8) Once I get down to Fluffys branch (Im still talking to him -meeeeeoowww) I open up the can of cat food. This is when the show really starts- his eyes get HUGH when he hears ssssissh of the can of food being opened and his natural response is to meeeeoooow back to you.
9) He may still be abit hesistant to come towards you so what I do is spread some of the cat food on the branch he is on as far out as I can reach and create a cat food trail back to me. I let the cat come to me vs. me going after the cat. Once the cat is within 2 feet of me I place the can of cat food in the rope bag, which is lying flat on my lap, I grab Fluffy by the back of his neck and set him on the rope bag talking and petting him while he's munching down the food I slip the bag over him (sometimes quite forcefully to keep him from freaking out and trying to escape) besure to tie the top of the bag or pull the drawstring tightly.
10) Descend with the cat in the bag and make sure the cat owner opens the bag INSIDE the house, not outside as I've seen fluffy get out of the bag all freaked out and run up another tree. AAAHHHhhhh
Bow to the cat owner and tell them you are trained in "Cat Bag Do"

Something else to beaware of is when you arrive at the scence and you're talking to the cat - meeeooowww - and the cat does NOT talk back - BEWARE!!!! Chances are he does not want to be rescued. If you got a vocal cat life will be much easier.

I got some buiz. cards made just for cat rescues. I've got them placed in Pet Shops, Vet clinics along with the local Fire Depts. (people still call them for cat rescues)

I've also seen a bag sewn to the opening of a welders glove so when you grab the cat with the gloved hand you turn the bag inside out and *POOF* the cat is in the bag. Besure to have a draw string on the bag.
Its an awesome service you're doing to help a feline in distress and not to mention the cat owner as well.

Keep up the great work and let us know what you come up with.

Tengu,
Thanks for the advice. This was my second rescue, this one went ALOT better. Many of you have read the tale of the previous rescue, and I'm sure had a good laugh at my expense. I had with me: a rope bag, and blanket so that I could use the reverse grab you spoke of; the food was already opened, and frankly I didn't bring it up because it stank so bad I was ready to hurl.

Coming down from above was my plan, but as I said I scared the poor guy higher up, and so was forced to approach from below. This has the added drawback that the cat will spray as a defense, and cat pee on a rope is nasty.

I was thinking that we could build a pole with a grabber on the end to secure the cat. The pole could be threaded through a grommet in a bag with a drawstring. The cat could be grabbed about the belly, between the legs, the pole could be brought through the bag, until the cat was covered, and the drawstring could be chinched tight. The pole and bag could then be lowered carefully down with the climber to deliver the tabby safely to the ground. I think the idea has some merit, but I've not got the fabrication skills to make it myself. Anybody have any fab. skills?

Climb Safe! Save Kitty!
Icabod

Interesting challenge. Tenju definitely has the right approach establishing as much of a relationship as possible with the cat and using food to bring it in closer.

When you can't succeed in getting the cat to come to you I wonder if something like a tree version of a baited havaheart trap would work?

I'm thinking of a rectangular ripstop bag with lightweight framing sewn in and spring loaded door on one end. The trap would be firmly secured to a branch or limb with slip knots so it could be detached from the ground. The idea being that you only climb once to set the trap. The trap could be sprung from below with an attached piece of throwline. A heavier line attached to the top of the trap would go over a branch above so the bag could be lowered from the ground once the cat was inside..

(I shortened my post down to the essentials, too much caffeine on board when I wrote the original)
-moss

Heck, I'm thinking you don't even need to climb the tree. Just set the line with the throwline and haul 'er up!

love
nick

Nick,

As I started to read your post I thought that it was going to read:

Heck, I'm thinking you don't even need to climb the tree. Just set the line with the throwline and "cut the tree down" But my mind got ahead of my eyes. You'd never say that, I know:D

Animal rescues are cool! I made $200 one 4th of July going after a bird. Not a bad days pay