to the resque (a cat)

I started rescuing cats about 7 years ago. I like it, each one is a little adventure. Some are embarrassingly ease and some are insanely difficult. Travel can be a pain and calls come in at all hours, but it’s a great feeling to give a cat back to a five year old girl that has been crying for two days.
 
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They say, "Don't let the cat out of the bag"...maybe it was a tree climber/rescuer that had just touched down with a bagged cat that said that the first time. /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

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The origin of the line about "letting the cat out of the bag" refers to the cat o' nine tails used for discipline on board ships. If the cat came out of the bag everyone knew the consequences. The whole ship's company was required to stand-to when punishment was given. Lashing was not as common in the English or US Navies as the movies would like us to believe. The lashing scene in Master and Commander gave Captain Jack an ill stomach but he was forced to have the lashes given by the Articles.
 
Wanna know the height of optimissm ? I once tried for over an hour going from one end of a tree to the other and back again etc.etc. trying to retrieve a pet budgie that had flown out of it's cage. Mission incomplete !
 
My last cat rescue I had a challenge with. I was wearing a long sleeved shirt, so when I grabbed it at the scruff of the neck it clawed into my shirt (and skin). I had a tough time unlocking its tight grip and getting it into a backpack.

It only took about 10 minutes to get a line set, foot lock, and get it in the bag. The lady asked, "how much do I owe you?" I said, "Nothing, just remember me when you need tree work."

Should I charge for that next time? /forum/images/graemlins/willy.gif
 
You should charge for cat rescue service..... This is one of the more dangerous services that we as Arborists provide. Anytime we are putting our lives(and the wellbeing of our families) on the line we should be compensated.
this being said we have to take a balanced approach to things like this as well.... we have a monopoly on the cat rescuing industry..... we could charge whatever we wanted to and most pet owners would pay it... just look at the amount people pay at the vet! soooooo, what should we charge for something like this? we need to be compensated for our risk, but we as nice guys do not want to rip anyone off.
well, I have done 5 cat rescues, 1 bird, 1 hurt climber, and 1 parachuter/forum/images/graemlins/redchug.gif.... all of which I charged for ranging anywhere from $100-$300 depending on drive time and difficulty
Also if i ever do any kind of rescue i want to have a contract signed that limits my liability.... you can never tell what an animal is going to do....

just some thoughts
 
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The last one I did I charged $75.00.........

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That was fine a couple years ago, but nowadays I won't leave the house unless (at the very least) Ben Franklin in involved.
 
$300 for a cat and $200 for a RC airplane because I like to watch 'em. Get three planes in a day at the field and not only are you fat in the hip, but you are a hero to the pilots. I give 'em directions to the ATM /forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Mrs. TreeDr loves those days.
 
I used to charge 50$ per rescue, then realized my entire afternoon was shot if I had a rescue to do. Now I charge 75$. I could charge more but I don’t want to force a person to pay a lot because they’re stuck. I get a lot of tips.
I’ve done over 440 cat rescues now, plus an assortment of birds, baby squirrels, planes, and iguanas. The cats have usually been up for at least two nights before I get a call. My record number of nights for a stuck cat was 12 nights. I don’t get two many repeat calls but I have rescued one cat four times, they leave it up for four or five nights too before they call me.
My hat’s off to anyone who goes out on rescues because sooner or latter you run into the dangerous as hell one. What do you do when you’ve just chased fluffy from 40 ft to the very tippy top at 90ft and the wind is blowing? Come down to the crowd below and say “sorry got to go”? I have a fisherman’s scoop net on a extendable pole for the hard to reach cats. Also sometimes I’ll anchored my line with a friction saver at a spot that is strong then set slings as I climb into the red zone, much like a rock climber does.

Climb on
Dan Kraus
 
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Also sometimes I’ll anchor my line with a friction saver at a spot that is strong then set slings as I climb into the red zone, much like a rock climber does.

Climb on
Dan Kraus

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That is a great idea. We took our Scouts rappelling this weekend and spent awhile just lounging and watching 2 climbers do a lead climb, setting safety as they climbed. Your setting of slings for "red zone" protection above your TIP is a great idea.
 
I've onlydone two Dan. And both were done with two people. I set a line and climbed up. Set-up a false crotch and was totally belayed from the ground. Then I climb to the cat and grab it w/ 2 hands and call to the belayer to lower me. I hold onto the cat and then touch down on the ground and give it to the owner. Very clean and no scratches.
 
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... then realized my entire afternoon was shot if I had a rescue to do. ...

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That sure can be true. I had to rescue the family cat a few weeks ago. He had been up a tree for at least four complete days and was at least 80' up. Of course around here the trees are a bit bigger than normal and have almost no lower branches (dense Douglas Fir forest). The particular tree the cat was in had some limbs I thought I could trust starting at 50'. The problem is I have never had a good enough shoulder/technique to get the line set that high in the dense forest. After a few tries confirming that nothing had changed in my throw line setting capabilities I started looking for options. As it turned out there was some trees further up the hill that I could get into. The challenge was there was a lot of distance and five trees between the tree I chose and the one the cat was in. I played Tarzan for a few hours getting to the cats tree. A few minutes after getting into the cat's tree he and I repelled down the tree. He was riding safely inside a burlap bag.

I don't think I will have any problems convincing my wife I need a Big Shot after that ordeal. I am sure it would have been a fraction of the time if I could have climbed only the tree the cat was in.

Cary
 
What a great thread!

I have a mate in South Wales who has a contract with animal protection groups - he charges slightly less than he would for standard contracting. He has a big 1200 enduro bike and loads it up with essential kit and blasts through traffic to the rescue Locally known as 'CatMan'! Ha! Ha! I pull his leg alot. He gets great press coverage and big tips. In fact, he had one client whos cat got stuck 5 times - he ended up doing the last 3 for free. She was elderley. When it came to xmas, a very large hamper from Harrods in London arrived - seriously expensive and a sign of true appreciation - I mean £50 in an envelope would have put a big smile on your face! Its nice when people recognise and reward kind gestures when you had no expectation for them to.

Trouble is, when the cat jumps at 70 feet.................... gets kinda awkward!
 
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Has anyone ever heard of a cat dying in a tree?

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As my firefighting buddy says - "Ever seen a cat skeleton in a tree?" I guess they'll eventually get down on their own.
I've done 2 iguanas (sharp claws!) and one cat (my own). I put all three in backpacks. The first iguana was in a 50 ft tulip poplar, and had climbed up just beyond safe human climbing point. I whipped out my gomtaro and cut the branch he was standing on. The branch (with iguana) dropped down to within reach, and I stuffed the little sucker in the bag. The second iguana (~4' long!) rescue was while on duty at the FD (It's amazing what people will call the fire department for!). It was just out of reach of our 75' ladder, so I ran home, got my gear, and got him.
 
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