Cat rescue... Ideas please!

[blacktopp]

dan kraus from cat in a tree rescue told me he uses a leather glove tied into the bottom of a coton laundry bag so you can put the glove on and roll the bag up your arm, grab the cat and roll the bag down and do up the drawstring. that sounds like the best idea iv heard

 

[poetmk]

Never be in a hurry. In all my cat rescues the cats eventually climbed on to me and we went down nice and easy together. I've brought a bag up each time but once the cat made the transition to my body from the tree (usually climbing from the tree to my arm and then snuggling up against my chest) we go down simple and easy. I've used redirects so that where ever I make contact with the cat we can head down right from there.

One time, using a 75' bucket truck in a redwood the cat jumped! but basically tumbled through the tree branches in a slow motion sort of fall all the way down, making the last 20' drop quite easily - and then bolted straight for the nearest clump of bushes unharmed

patience is my advice -

peace,

mk

 

[pantheraba]

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I secured the limb with a couple of slings, then got out my handsaw and started slowly cutting the limb a foot or so out with no undercut. It peeled down nicely, cat hung on like only a cat can.

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I have thought about doing that, too...good trick.

Several times I have also rigged a large tarp (probably 25x40 about 4 feet off the ground in a potential "jump" area...the cat jumped into it once just as I started up the tree...all my prep and such must have freaked her out.

Once I had the owners and friends holding the tarp like fireman in case the cat bailed out...they felt useful and it would have been useful if the cat had jumped.

 

[treehumper]

Given the cat was up there for 6 days then it could have waited until the next day. I've wrapped my lanyard once around the branch to give it a bite when there's no branch. Take your time, patience is the key to being successful.

The last rescue involved a horizontal tip in a small elm. I used a redirect to stabilize myself along with the lanyard. All of it done slowly with as little disturbance so the cat would be calm. I use the cat's carrier to handle it and get it to the ground.

Hope it works better for you in the future.

 

[tomthetreeman]

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Once I had the owners and friends holding the tarp like fireman in case the cat bailed out...they felt useful and it would have been useful if the cat had jumped.

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This would have worked. The one constant in this story is that it was dark and late. I probably would have thought of this if I wasn't worried about the hour. I was also focused on getting the cat to come to me, which it wouldn't. I have always owned cats, but I guess that doesn't make me a mind reader. They're all different, especially under stress.

Thanks for all the input, everyone. I do feel that I am qualified to provide this service, and I want to continue to help rescue cats, but this was a real eye opener.

-Tom