Cat in a Tree?

Cats love trees. They love scratching and sharpening their claws on them. They watch the birds and insects sitting in them with slitted eyes and taut body. They perk their ears when the leaves are driven by the wind to rustle and swing.

Cats also love to climb trees. Sometimes just for the fun of climbing. Sometimes in hopes of catching that bird, or insect, or leaf that has been toying with their senses long enough. And sometimes they climb a tree because it is the best escape from the dog that has chased them.

Once they are up the tree, they have to get down. Problem is those well-honed claws are designed for pulling and ripping toward the cat’s body. So, it’s easier to go up than to come down. If they could defy gravity, turn face-first down that wonderful tree, it would be as slick as a bowl of premium pate for that cat.

Unfortunately, defying gravity is just out of the question, even though it often appears that cats can defy everything. Getting out of that tree, especially for the first-time kitty climber, can be an exercise in patience and fear.

Cats are exceptionally capable of figuring stuff out. Eventually, they will figure out how to back down that tree, or find an alternate route from the tree to something else that is more manageable, like a shed or fence.

This is particularly true for cats that have raced up the tree for the sheer exhilaration of launching themselves up that tree for fun or are on the hunt. If they’ve raced up out of fear or to protect themselves, it’s best to remove the fear factor and give him time to understand the threat is over.

It’s best to talk him down if you have the time. Hearing your voice encouraging him and boosting his confidence will usually do the trick, though it make take a while and he may have several false starts before he figures it all out.

If your cat, the one you know and love, is up that tree and you just can’t wait for her to figure out how to get down; you can go up the tree to get her. I had a very young kitty who was scared and tornado warnings were going off, so waiting was out of the question.

Make sure you protect yourself though! Put on a thick coat, something to protect your neck, and gloves. Even when you are sure your cat trusts you, she either will still be scared or doesn’t want to come down. And those glorious claws can do a whole lot of damage very quickly.

Get as close as you can to her. If you can’t get within grasping distance, you may have to talk her to you. In most cases, she’ll come to you because you’ve just created an exciting new game! That is until she realizes you are going to accost her.

Make sure you have your balance and footing, grasp your kitty the way her mother would – right between her shoulder blades and head where the skin is loose. She’ll likely go a little limp as a pre-conditioned reaction. Cradle her or drop her down to a level she can negotiate on her own.

I’ve been known to carry my cats all the way down, but despite our years together, they waffled between their own instincts and their trust of me. I had to hold on very tightly and gently talk their little ears off so they wouldn’t claw the crap out of me. But it can be done.

If they are far too resistant, let them come down on their own. That’s what the animal control experts will tell you – because given time, they will come down. They’ll get hungry and tired and bored. But, there are instances where their safety outweighs the luxury of time.

If you go after them, never underestimate their ability to damage you and never overestimate your relationship with them. It’s not personal, it’s instinct. Cats are terribly self-reliant and they ultimately trust only themselves.

In cases of strays, it’s best to let them handle their own dilemma unless they are wounded, sick, or if the stray is a Bobtail some other breed that has no tail. In this case, you’re going to have to call someone. I wouldn’t recommend going after a stray or unfamiliar cat on your own. Ever. Call your vet or humane society and find out who handles treed cats.

Once I had a stray bobtail stuck very far up a tree for three days. I didn’t realize he was tailless until the third day. Once I did, I knew he wasn’t coming down on his own. Tails are vital for balance and this kitty was stuck without one. I called animal control, but she didn’t have a ladder capable of reaching him. He was really high.

Though most fire departments don’t rescue cats up trees anymore, we convinced our station to come over and rescue this poor guy. We took pictures of the nice firefighter using his ladder truck to save the day and sent them to the newspaper. He and Bob (I ended up adopting that kitty) got a nice spread on the front page.

So, I guess if all else fails, bribe your local fire station with publicity photos!