Animal House: What to Do When Your Cat is Stuck in a Tree

Two weeks ago, my South Shore Disaster Animal Rescue Team (SSDART) and I were called for a . 

This is not a rare call by any means as I probably receive two calls per week for this type of rescue.  But, this is not a low risk rescue as we generally are dealing with heights that exceed thirty feet, and it requires at least two qualified people and the proper equipment. 

Still, generally speaking, a is not an emergency and most of the calls we receive we do not go and rescue the cat. 

There are some general rules regarding what to do when a cat is in a tree and when to call for actual help.

The first rule: If your cat is in a tree, unless the cat is less than ten feet up the tree, or within safe reach with a ladder, do not attempt to go get the cat.  If a person falls from twice their height or greater than ten feet, it is considered a serious fall and can cause tremendous injury to a human. 

The second rule: Leave the cat alone. The cat went into the tree for safety, and it will not come down if it does not feel safe. Generally speaking, cat owners will go out every half hour and call the cat and stand beneath the tree.  Since the cat didn’t go for this the first time, chances are slim the cat is suddenly going to come down just because you’re calling it. 

So, than what does one do when their precious feline is frolicking in the foliage? 

First, place some cat food at the base of the tree, the smell may entice the cat to come down, but remove the food at night as to not draw unwanted animals to the area at the base of the tree. 

The most important thing is to leave the cat alone and chances are it will come down. 

The next thing to do is to determine who could go and get the cat if it decides not to come down.  I run into a lot of surprised people when they call the local fire department or animal control officer only to find that, depending on the municipality, they do not rescue cats from trees. 

Budgets in towns being what they are, it is not an efficient use of resources and committing a fire apparatus with a minimum of two people on the truck to a cat in tree call, could potentially increase a response time to a human emergency. 

There are a few groups that will rescue a cat in a tree, and some local tree companies will do it as well. 

As a general rule, most groups will only come out to rescue a cat in a tree if the cat has been in the tree for a long period of time, like three days. 

Weather conditions will affect the decision to go up and rescue a cat as well.  If the weather conditions put a cat in danger, like extremely cold or hot temperatures, a decision may be made to go and get the cat.  Lastly, the age of the cat will determine if it needs to be rescued rather than wait and see if the cat will come down. 

A very young or very old cat will change the determination of the need to go and rescue, rather than wait. 

So, if your feline friend decides to take to a more scenic height, fear not.  Cats are very adept climbers, both up and down. 

If Fluffy decides to take an extended vacation in its new tree house, remember stay calm and know who to call and when.