Most people would take it as a bad sign when they go to a shelter and learn that a particular kitten has been adopted and returned to the shelter twice, but Margie was not deterred. This little black and white kitten was the only one who stuck his paw out of the cage and patted her on her face, and once that connection was made, Margie made up her mind and took the kitten to her home in rural Bogue Chitto, Mississippi with her husband, Andrew, and their children. They named him Clark, and he settled into their home and has been a perfectly wonderful and well-loved cat for three years now.
When Clark and his canine brother are inside, they get along just fine, but when they go outside, his brother tends to chase him. That is what happened recently, and this chase got a little out of hand as Clark was chased into the woods across the street where he escaped by climbing a Pine tree. Clark kept climbing upward looking for a limb where he could rest, but he climbed 55 feet high before he found one, and now he was stuck.
Margie and Andrew did everything they could to coax Clark down, but nothing worked. They called many people for help, but no one would do so. All the internet know-it-alls performed their usual harmful service and told them that he would come down on his own, so they waited, and, by the time I got the call to rescue Clark, he had been in the tree for six days.
I installed my rope about 80 feet high, well above Clark, but that activity still frightened him, and I could hear the fear and nervousness in his voice. By the time I was ready to climb up to him, he had calmed down a good bit, but he was still very nervous. As he saw me approaching, he became more nervous, so I went very slowly and stopped frequently to talk to him and reassure him. It wasn't enough. When I was a few feet below him, he decided that was too close and began to climb higher. He quickly scooted up about 15 feet and later climbed a little more until he was about 75 feet high.
I eased my way up to him, and he was simply too tired and nervous to go any higher. He stayed there, but he was not comfortable. I tried to make friends with him, and, eventually, I was able to gently stroke his back. When I scratched his back and rubbed his rump, he began to relax a bit, but I never could completely earn his trust even though I spent a long time with him there. His voice was very expressive, and his cries of distress and mournful despair were pitiful and heart-breaking to hear. I felt so sorry that I could not console him fully. Since he did not seem to be a good candidate for a carrier rescue, I bagged him instead and brought him down.
Margie took him inside the house and released him there. He was clearly relieved to be home again, and he was ready for all the comforts of home after six days in the tree. He was especially happy to have a soft, comfortable place to stretch out for some serious sleep.
