Beloved Cat (And Human) Rescued During Thanksgiving Dinner From Tree

The holidays are a great time to spend with our pets, but for one Rochester, New York, family may have exhausted their patience after trying to coax its cat down from a tree for almost the entirety of Thanksgiving. 

They spent 18 hours trying to get their cat, Flock, down a nearby tree after waking up to find him in a nearby tree. When they called Rochester Fire Department for help, the firefighters said they were no longer responding to cat rescue calls because they were tasked with saving humans. Apparently, one of the owners decided to rescue the cat and got himself stuck in a tree while attempting to bring it out. 

Neither human nor cat was harmed by accident, but it did lead to the fire department coming out with their long ladder to rescue the pair. The firefighters were able to return the man to the ground safely and managed to rescue Flock.   

Moseveanna Camp told WHEC, “We asked them if they could please get the cat as well since they had rescued the man.”. The firemen came and saw the cat was high. They struggled for a little while but eventually got it, and I’m grateful for their help.

Cat Rescue Tips 

There are a few things to consider if you find yourself in a situation similar to Flock and wonder how to lower your cat from a tree safely: 

• Cat claws are excellent for climbing, but they aren’t highly suited to climbing down. Cats will climb upward until they feel safe, but then they realize they’re stuck. That is what Shaun Sears of Canopy Cat Rescue tells KUOW. Unless they climb backward, they cannot get down.
• According to Sears, cats can survive in trees for several weeks if they find themselves out on a limb. Do not wait too long to deal with your cats if they don’t come down independently.
• KUOW reports that Sears says it is imperative not to leave out food. By doing that, you may attract other animals-potential predators to the area and encourage your cat to climb the tree.

You can climb up the tree and try to rescue the cat, as long as the ladder is sturdy and the tree isn’t too high — less than 20 feet, says Sears. Be sure to check that there aren’t any nearby power lines and that you don’t have a neighbor or friend who can help you hold the ladder in good condition.