The cat was thankfully unharmed after his ordeal
An intrepid cat was abseiled down a tree after getting stuck 15 metres from the ground for two days.
The two-year-old cat had got himself in a bit of a predicament when he climbed a tree in Tim Lane, Keighley, West Yorkshire – but got himself so high up that he couldn’t get down. His worried owners contacted the RSPCA after various attempts to safely coax him down using food didn’t work.
RSPCA animal rescue officer Emmeline Myall attended on Sunday (12 February). After assessing the situation, she contacted fire and rescue for their help – but the cat was so high up that even their equipment would not reach him.
So Emmeline contacted Keighley-based Airedale Tree Surgeons, who sent three members of staff to assist in the rescue operation.
“The safest way to rescue the cat was by abseiling him back down. Thankfully tree surgeon Toby was brave enough to scale such a height to safely bring the cat down,” said Emmeline.
“Once he was down, the cat ran and hid in a rabbit burrow – it’d been quite an ordeal for him! But happily he was unharmed and his owners were so relieved for him to go home.
“It was very much a joint rescue operation between the tree surgeons and ourselves. It’s another reminder of what we can all achieve together for animal welfare. I’m just so pleased that the cat is now safe and back with his family.”
When cats get stuck up trees, in a vast majority of cases, they can get themselves down and trying to rescue them can actually put them at risk as they may fall or jump trying to escape.
Emmeline said: “We would normally ask owners to try and tempt their cat down with smelly treats or by warming food a little to increase its odour in the first instance and keep a close eye on them.
“If after 24 hours the cat still appears to be stuck, or if something changes in the meantime, we’d ask owners to call us and we will do what we can to help.
“Worried owners can call the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999 and we can contact the fire services to ask for help if necessary.”
To help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in desperate need of care please visit: www.rspca.org.uk/give.
