Jasper

It was a sweet, six-month-old cutie-pie named Jasper who finally pulled me out of the summer doldrums. I had not had a rescue to do in four weeks, and I was wondering when the next one would be. 

Stephanie is not sure how or when Jasper managed to slip out the door unnoticed, but slip out he did, and Stephanie was shocked to find him up in her next-door neighbor's tree. After calling everyone for help and being refused each time, she searched the internet and quickly found me. When she called, I could hear in her voice just how concerned she was and how she wanted her kitty down now. Even though it was late in the afternoon and Jasper had been in the tree only since early morning, she did not want to wait any longer to get her baby down, so I rushed over there as quickly as I could.

Jasper had been stuck in the tree during some torrential thunderstorms, so I know he must have been miserable. But when I arrived and saw him for the first time, he looked just fine and happy. He was perched about 20 feet high at the main union where all the leaders of this oak tree spread outward. When I installed my rope, however, Jasper got a little nervous and moved up about six feet higher and stopped in a fork.

By the time I climbed up to him, he was relaxed again and readily made friends with me. I petted him a few times and then gave him a chance to walk into the carrier. He gave it a thought and looked inside and sniffed it, but it did not pass his tests, so he stayed put. I opened a can of food and gave him a sniff, but he did not seem very interested in it. Still, I put it in the back of the carrier and gave him another chance to walk inside. He inspected it again and stepped his front legs inside but then backed out and showed no more interest in it. I put the carrier away and prepared the cat bag on my arm. I petted him again, massaged his neck and then grabbed his scruff and pulled the bag over him.

I brought him down to Stephanie who was waiting below, and she was very relieved to finally have her baby down and safe. She took him home in the bag and released him. Once his eyes emerged from the bag, he was bewildered to find himself at home but happy that it happened. Stephanie sent these pictures of him to me showing his cute, bewildered look and his relief to be back home with his canine brother.