Ping Pong

Over these past few weeks, I have been teased with rescue calls that I never got to do because they resolved on their own before I could do anything. Today, however, I finally got my chance to "get back in the saddle again" when I was called to rescue an unknown orange and white cat in a Cypress tree in Dana's backyard. From his talkative manner 30 feet high in the tree, he appeared to be a friendly boy, but that doesn't necessarily mean he will be cooperative. As it turned out, he was cooperative but only after I had almost exhausted my patience with him. He got scared while I was installing my rope in the tree, and he went out to the end of the limb. He stayed there for a very long time while I tried to coax him to me. Just as I was about to give up and pull up the rescue pole for him, he decided to come to me based on some mysterious whim that only cats can understand. He walked right up to me, gave me a good sniff and let me pet him all over. He was a sweet boy. While it took him a few more minutes to decide if he wanted to walk into the carrier, he eventually did so, and I brought him down.

Back on the ground, I scanned the cat for a microchip and was very happy to find one. While the microchip company worked to contact the owner, I left the cat with Dana and went home. Only thirty minutes later, the cat was returned home. His name is Ping Pong, and he belongs to a girl who got him from Cat Haven but is now going to school in Texas. While she is away, she left her cat with her grandparents who live about 10 houses down from Dana. The grandparents said Ping Pong escaped and had been "gone a while," but I don't know how long that really is. Regardless, Ping Pong is safe at home now and doing well.