Expert: Norman Auspitz - 10/28/2009

Question
How long can a cat survive "stuck" up a tree?  She was about 40 feet up for several days, and I called one of the tree toppers, who advertized "cat rescue".  She walked on branches over to the tree her "rescuer" was in, and climbed higher.  She went up way to high for a safe retrieval.  She is probably between 60 and 80 feet up.  How long can she go without food?  It's been raining off and on, mostly off.  It's also been getting very cold, close to freezing at night.  Have cats died up trees?  She's about 3-4 years old, and has spent enough time outside to know about trees.  What's better...ignoring her or calling to her off and on throughout the day and night?  I believe we are hitting close to day 6.  Thank you,  Cindy


Answer
Cindy,

This is tough, but cats do seem to finally come down, once they get hungry enough. I beleive the best bet, now, is to wait her out as I do not think you have much choiuce.  I have enver heard of a cat dieing in a tree!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, here is a news story about a cat in a simliar precicament and what happened:


"Cat Jumps 60 Feet After 10 Days In Tree
"Fire Department, Parks Department, Animal Control Team Up For Cat Rescue

"POSTED: 6:20 pm PST December 11, 2007
"UPDATED: 9:24 am PST December 13, 2007

"BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- A cat survived jumping 60 to 70 feet from a tree after spending 10 days trapped on branches, according to two witnesses who watched officials try to rescue the cat.

"Summer Newman, who lives near the tall pine tree where the cat was trapped, said she came home from grocery shopping 10 days ago and heard noises from the tree. “I saw the branches moving and heard the cat,” she said. “There was also a small crowd gathered.”

"She said since then the cat was crying day and night. “I tried calling it and giving it food, but another cat ate it,” she said.


"Newman said she called the fire department because someone was stuck in the tree trying to rescue the cat three or four days ago. She said when she asked the fire department that day to rescue the cat, they wouldn’t. “They said it was a myth that firemen get cats out of trees.”

"Tuesday, her sister, Jessica Newman, contacted ABC23 via MySpace. She wrote, “I was wondering if there was anyway you could help us figure out a way to get that poor cat out of there.”

"Later in the morning, another neighbor climbed into the tree to rescue the cat and got stuck. Firemen were called out to rescue the man. It was then, according to Newman, that firemen tried to reach the cat with a ladder.

"But the cat went higher. According to Newman, the firemen said there was nothing they could do.

"Soon after, Newman said Animal Control came out, but couldn’t reach the cat.

"After that a Kern County ladder truck came out to try and reach the cat, but it moved even higher and they couldn’t reach it either.

"As the fire department left, Kern County Parks and Recreation showed up with a truck that had a lift on it.

"Al Whatmough, who filmed the entire event, said, “It just looked like it was getting funnier by the minute. As soon as I saw the fire trucks show up and pick up the guy, I thought, ‘This is funny.’ But it just kept getting funnier. I think the firemen all did a noble job. They didn't have to come out and rescue a cat, but they did.”

"After elevating the lift and moving it into position, the cat jumped out of the tree from about 60 or 70 feet.

"Unhurt and confused, the cat ran headlong into another tree and finally darted under a car and crawled up into the engine. It took some time for Animal Control officials to extricate the cat. The lucky jumping cat will be available for adoption after 4 days from the Kern County Animal Control.

"Asked why she cared about the cat, Newman said, “I like animals.”"


Concerned regards... Norm.