Letter: Help! There's A Cat Stuck in My Tree!

Yesterday the  braved an effort to rescue a standed cat to no avail.

Tower 1 was seen, expertly manned by it's crew of firefighters, towering over my little cottage home on Wheaton Street. The MISSION: to save a little black and white kitty perched high (about 25 feet high) in an ole' maple tree.

The kitty, who I now named "ROCKY" was first spotted atop the tree around 10 am Friday morning. I still don't know who chased the little kitty up the tree BUT, he seemed to be OK yet petrified.

On that same morning, I called Heidi Garrity (Warren's very own ) and she arrived and assessed the situation. After her visual she commented that the kitty appeared to be scared BUT in good condition and was NOT INJURED! She immediately removed a pouch of kitty food and place it on a branch of the tree. After a dozen or so..."Meows! Hereeeeee Kitty! Kitty! She instructed me to leave him alone that once he calmed down he would come down to eat. Sounded like a plan.

Saturday went by and although the weather was COLD during the night, ROCKY maintained his perch.

On Sunday, after three days on a limb, some of the neighbors put in a call to the Fire Chief who sent in the troops to get ROCKY down. He had been up there for three days with no food or water.

Set-up was quick but to all of our amazement (by this time there were about 25 spectators) ROCKY decided not to comply and with each attempt to rescue ROCKY, he would just fly from branch to branch and even higher up the tree. Until finally he was out of reach. Warren FD gave it their best shot but ROCKY proved to the the flying kitty.

Today, I am happy to report that ROCKY seems still OK perched about 20 feet high in the Maple tree behind my house. He has to be dehydrated and hungry but he is still moving around and actually has come down some. He responds to my "Meow! Here kitty kitty!" but, does not come down any further. Four days is a lot for any kitty to spend in a tree and I am worried about the upcoming rain, although cats and rain don't mix and that may force him down.

Oh yeah...one last thing...every night I put out fresh dry and wet cat food next to the tree with water. I noticed that the wet is always gone? Is ROCKY smarter then we think? Is he coming down and eating and then going back up? Hmmmm...?

At first it was hilarious, but now as I think that poor kitty has to be scared out of it's wits.

First something chased it up the tree, then someone like me is throwing treats at it, then this BIG MACHINE (Tower 1) roars into the my yard with 5 BIG GUYS trying to poke it with the long noose/rod. The poor guy or girl was forced out to some really shaky limbs.

We have tried almost everything except for someone climbing the tree. It's an ole' tree and I do NOT authorize or give permission for safety reason for anybody to attempt it.

If anyone has any ideas I am all "ears"... but don't say it too LOUD because, "ROCKY" the flying Kat... is listening up a tree! Please contact me at ricktilt@cox.net with any ideas or help in this situation!

Evan Veguilla, Warren