You got me good! I have to respond to this constantly, I go autopilot and can write a response quickly or make it verbally. My elevator speech on the subject is getting tighter every time ;-)
This is more common than people think, and I have seen a few cases. A cat doesn't have to fall into a tight vertical fork to get truly stuck. They can try to climb above it but gently slide down into the tight fork constricting their body, usually the waist, and the more they try to pull themselves out, the more they sink deeper into the fork. This especially happens on smooth bark trees, like Crepe Myrtles (especially those that were topped causing dozens of closely-spaced, tall, vertical shoots), where they can't get a good enough grip to pull themselves up, and the tight fork is so high that they can't push themselves high enough to escape the constriction. They absolutely will die there if not rescued. Paralysis is almost certain if not rescued quickly. As a frequent cat rescuer, I hear the "cat skeleton" line all the time, and sometimes I wish I could show a picture of one. @surveyor, if you have a picture of that case, I would love it if you would send it to me privately. I have pictures of cats stuck in a tight vertical fork but none of a cat skeleton in a tree.
I'm quite sure that owls, hawks and vultures would eliminate most cat remains in tree canopies. Absence of proof is not proof of absence.
Yes! Add in raccoons, fishers, even crows and jays. It takes a village to dispose of a body!
