The cat was unknown, but several people at the mobile home park heard and noticed it. Ginny and her husband, Anthony, who manage the park in Gulfport, Mississippi, were very concerned about the cat, and, after trying everything and calling everyone they could, found me and called to see if I could help. I calculated that, after the two-hour drive, I would have almost two hours before dark which should be enough time for the rescue, so I agreed to go right away.
The cat, a large orange tabby, was about 30 feet high in a pine tree which was surrounded by some smaller trees. He was about 10 feet out on the limb, and the reports were that he cried frequently to people when they would pass and talk to him. When I arrived, however, he was quiet, but that could be due to fatigue after spending four nights in the tree.

I opened a can of food hoping that would make a difference, but, while he seemed to recognize the sound and showed at least some initial interest in it, he would not come any closer to me to get it. I put the food on the end of an extendable pole to place it closer to him, and he sniffed it, but, after that, he ignored it.
I slowly inched my way a little higher so that I could put my feet on the limb and stretch out to him. I was hoping a sniff of my hand might help put him at ease, but I had to step out on the limb several feet to get close to him. With my feet on the limb, I stretched my body almost horizontal in order to reach toward him, and, to my surprise, the cat began to walk toward me. At first, I thought he had a change of heart and was coming to make friends with me, but, instead, he saw this an opportunity to try to sneak past me and go to the trunk where he could climb higher to get away from me. As he came by me, I petted his back, and when I realized he was trying to get away from me, I held on to him and moved my foot out in front of him to stop his progress. He turned around and went back out the limb out of my reach. If I had had the cat bag ready on my arm, I could have bagged him then, but I was not prepared for that, and I missed my opportunity.


Being exhausted and having failed to shake the cat out of the tree, it was time to resort to cutting part of the limb to force the cat to fall. I used a saw to cut the limb slowly hoping it would droop down without breaking off. Unfortunately, the limb snapped completely free and fell to the ground. As I looked where the cat had been, I was shocked to see that he was still there. Just before the limb fell, he had managed to jump into a small, skinny tree nearby. My heart sank as I looked at him over there in a tree that I could climb only by using a very slow, tedious and strenuous climbing technique. I was spent and did not have the energy to climb that tree, and I seriously thought I was just going to have to leave him there.
I came back down to the ground to rest, get reorganized and assess the situation. The cat was now in a more miserable place where he could not rest or go up or go down. I did not want to leave him there, and I did not want to drive two hours home and return the next day. I gathered my courage and strength and prepared to climb up there to get him. This time, since he would not likely be able to go anywhere to get away from me, I should be able to bag him.
It took some time and more energy, but I climbed up to him, and he stayed in place even though I could see him thinking about going higher. I could now touch him and try to make friends with him, and he tolerated it pretty well and eventually relaxed. I massaged his scruff and then lifted him off the limb as I pulled the bag over him. He handled it all very well.
I brought him down and turned him over to Ginny and Anthony. They were happy to take care of him while they tried to find his owner. By the time I got home, she had sent this picture of him to me and reported that they named him Timber and that he was settling in just fine. She made an appointment with the vet a few days later where he checked out just fine. She reported that he is very affectionate and friendly, and they have decided to keep him. I am very impressed with their dedication to this cat, and I am especially grateful that they stayed with me during the entire, lengthy rescue, even during the rain.