Boo Times Two
I don't normally do rescues at night, because I like to be able clearly to assess the tree and the branches where my rope is going to be tied. It is also more difficult to see power lines in the dark or simply forget they are there. So, when Tracy called me to rescue her kitty, Boo, one evening a few days before Christmas, I told her I would be happy to do it the following morning. But then she pleaded with me to see if I could do it that night. Boo had been missing for three nights, and Tracy had just found her in her next-door neighbor's front-yard tree. Boo was pitifully crying to Tracy for help, and Tracy in turn was pleading with me. Since Boo is a very friendly girl and they were located in my own neighborhood, I agreed at least to look at the situation to see if I felt comfortable doing the rescue.
I did not like what I saw. When I arrived, Boo was in the tree near some power lines where circled in red. She appeared desperate and likely cooperative, but I was not comfortable getting so close to those power lines even in daylight. But then I learned that Boo had earlier moved over to the other part of the tree where circled in yellow. That surprised me, but that's an entirely different matter. If Boo could go over there again, then I could rescue her there. Tracy convinced me that if I were in that part of the tree, Boo would come to me, so I agreed to try it.
Indeed, that is exactly what happened. Boo came over to that part of the tree and greeted me there, and I fell in love with this sweet black kitty. She readily walked inside the carrier as if knowing that was her ticket home, and I brought her down with ease. I love rescuing cats like Boo who simply trust me without question and cooperate fully. That surely makes it easy and fun for me.
I am grateful for the several concerned neighbors who were there to assist, watch traffic and hold lights for me. That made it all easier for me, and I enjoyed meeting my neighbors.
Four days later, on the morning of Christmas Eve, I got a call to rescue Boo again. Boo had escaped the house again and gotten herself stuck in a tree in the same neighbor's yard, but this time she was far back in the back yard. I could understand why it took them two days to find her, since she was well hidden high in a skinny tree behind an old shipping container.
I decided to climb another skinny tree close to her, and, while it was awkward and troublesome, I eventually climbed high enough that I was almost within reach of her. I already knew this little girl would be desperate and cooperative enough to make it easy for me, and she came through for me again. She was out of my reach, but I held a carrier almost vertically to her and asked her to jump down into it, and she did it. That sweet, bold girl jumped through the narrow opening of the carrier and settled down in the bottom while I pulled her down and shut the door. I love this kitty.
Her family is very grateful to me for rescuing Boo, but I suspect they also feel a bit embarrassed and troubled by Boo's new habit. Many people feel that way when their cat becomes a repeat offender. They told me that they are thinking about finding a new home for Boo, because they have a very busy house with small children plus two other cats, and it is simply too easy for Boo to find opportunities to escape with so many people going in and out. I will be disappointed if they do rehome her. I know Boo will likely escape again and get stuck in a tree, but I don't mind. I love rescuing Boo, and I would rather rescue her so close to home than need to go farther away to rescue her at a new home.
I have no video and few pictures to show of both these rescues, because I intentionally did not record the night rescue, and I simply forgot my camera for the second rescue. That's a shame, because Boo is a cutie, and I would love to show you just how sweet and cooperative she was.