Unknown and Cheese
As the severe heat of the summer begins to moderate, the cats seem to be discovering an urge to climb, and these two cases are the most recent. First was an unknown cat in a mobile home neighborhood in Baton Rouge. Ingrid discovered him in the tree and called me for help after he had spent one night in the tree. She had seen him in the neighborhood for a long time and knew him to be friendly, but she didn't know the owner. He was, indeed, a friendly kitty who was ready for a rescue, so all I had to do was introduce myself, pick him up, place him on my lap, and pull the bag up around him. Since he looked healthy and was a known resident, I just released him back on the ground.
The next day, Selina, in St. Amant, called me in a mild panic because her sweet indoor cat, Cheese, had been stuck in a tree for thirty minutes. Normally, I like to give a cat time to learn how to come down on his own, but the timing was such that it was easier for me to do it right away. Besides, this is an indoor cat, and the rescue is as much for Selina as it is for Cheese. Cheese wasn't happy up there in the tree, so he was glad to see me coming up there for him. After I convinced him I was useful by giving him some of his favorite treats, he came to me and stepped on my lap. I had already prepared the cat bag on my lap, so all I had to do was pull the bag up around him and take him down. Once inside, he drank some water and napped as if he had been stuck in the tree for a week.