Cat Saga Part 2

Riselle spent Tuesday night stuck in the tree. Several times during the day on Wednesday I went out and talked to her. All of our neighbors were so concerned and helpful! One idea that came up was to hoist up a basket with tuna in it and try to coax her into the basket and then lower her down.

We finally got the rope over the branch and the basket up in the tree. Look how far the cat has gotten herself!


Here's a view of the whole scene. You can see where food and water were put out for her.


Here's the neighbor cat that hung around and seemed to try to help.


The "elevator" we constructed wasn't enticing enough, however. Riselle would not budge. By this time she'd been in the tree for 24 hours. Someone recommended a tree service to us, so we called Tom's Tree Service for help. (Tom actually lives farther down our street!) Tom had his son John come out and climb the tree to try to get the cat. Look how easily John just walks up that tree! From now on, if the FD can't rescue a cat, I'm calling a tree service next. (I remembered after I started filming that it's not as easy to rotate video as it is pictures)




The branch Riselle was sitting on is dead, so John couldn't go out on it very far. He tried to grab her, but she kept out of his reach. The voices you hear on this video are Tom and his wife (notice they keep referring to the cat as "he.")




Since grabbing the cat wasn't working, Tom sent up a net for John to try to catch her with it. Watch the video to see the result (notice Tom now refers to the cat as "she" I don't know why he switched!)



The camera went all funny at the end because I was on my way to see if she was okay. We quickly found that she had a soft landing on some rotten wood and plastic containers (better than hard ground and rocks!) But the cat was nowhere to be seen. Tom assured us that she'd be home soon (if not already) especially since she'd gone so long without food.

We spent a few more hours looking for her that night and left porch lights on and food and water out, but she didn't come home and we had to go to bed. So she spent Wednesday night who knows where. The next morning Curtis had to go to work. The food we left out was gone (but there are other animals in the area.) When Zachary went down for his morning nap I went through the bushes near the tree again, but no sign. I walked back home and thought maybe I'd try the woods at the end of the street (opposite end of the street from the tree that she was stuck in.)

Beau came with me, and you can't imagine how my heart leaped when I heard a cat meow! I hurried into the woods and called for her and held my breath. After a few minutes of this I finally saw her coming very slowly towards us. Beau growled and even hissed, and Riselle refused to come any closer. I was so afraid she'd run off! But she stood still while we got closer. When Beau was able to sniff her he recognized her and stopped growling. I finally got close enough to touch and pet her, then pick her up and carry her back to the house.

So the silly cat was stuck in a tree for 24 hours and it was another 14 before we got her home. (I can only call her silly and laugh about the whole thing because she's home. I was just sick with grief and worry earlier this morning.) But she's safe now and perhaps a little wiser!