Luna

One of the questions about cat rescue that I am most frequently asked is, "What is the highest you have had to climb to rescue a cat?" I now have a new answer to that question. Thanks to Luna, the answer to that question now is 100 feet.

Rescues above 100 feet are fairly common in the Pacific Northwest where they have many super-tall conifers, but down here in south Louisiana, most of my rescues are between 20 and 40 feet. We have some very tall Pines here, but one-year-old Luna is the first of my rescue kitties actually to climb one and go all the way to the top. Luna's owner, Mary, was not pleased, and I could hear the distress and frustration in her voice when she called that evening. Mary actually told me on the phone that her cat was 100 feet high in the tree, but I just brushed that off because it is rare that anyone estimates even close to the actual height. She was right on the money.

Except for the extra exercise I got, the rescue was pretty easy. Luna waited for me to climb up to him and started purring as soon as I got close. After our introductions, I spread the cat bag on my lap, lifted him off his limb, placed him on my lap, and pulled the bag up around him. Luna purred the whole time. After three nights in the tree, he desperately wanted to get back down on the ground, and he seemed to understand that I would get him there.

I don't do this for money; I do it for the good feeling I get. It feels great to be able to bring an end to the suffering for both the cat and its owner. The better they feel, the better I feel, and, after seeing the immense relief they showed, and feeling the appreciation and gratitude expressed, I came away from this rescue feeling very good indeed.