Pookie

Pookie is a sweet, fourteen-month-old dilute calico who was chased by some loose dogs up a tree in her front yard in Holden, Louisiana. Her family tried to help her down, but the more they tried, the higher Pookie went. A family friend climbed a ladder and then free-climbed the tree (yikes!) from that point to reach Pookie, but when he forcibly grabbed her, Pookie, who is ordinarily sweet and docile, felt threatened and bit him. After that experience, Pookie was suspicious of anyone approaching her in the tree, so, when I arrived and approached her after her fourth night in the tree, she was not her usual friendly and welcoming self. I did my best to reassure her, but she remained cautious and refused to warm up to me.

It was when I opened a can of food for her and saw her positive reaction to that sound that I began to have some hope. She was interested in the food, but she was very reserved about it too. I held the food up to her as high as I could reach and encouraged her to come down a bit to reach it. She cautiously stepped down a bit, gave the food a good sniff, made an ugly face, and backed up to her original spot. Apparently, my salmon selection was an insult to her palate, so I put the food away and tried another one. Her response to the new food was not much better, but at least she was getting more comfortable with me and trusting me more. For the first time, she sniffed my hand and allowed me to touch her gently. At that point, she appeared much more relaxed and ready for a rescue. I held the carrier up to her and was very pleased to see her walk slowly inside with only a little hesitation. I had a little trouble getting her tail all the way inside so I could close the door, but, once that was done, I brought her down and returned her to her anxious and relieved family.