Little Bit's Second Rescue

He was the calmest of cats. He was the tensest of cats. No, this is not a tale of two cats. It's the same cat at two different rescues.

The first time I rescued Little Bit, he was so tense he could barely move. Less than three weeks later, I rescued him again, and he was so relaxed I thought he might fall asleep. Yes, it really is the same cat, and, while I can't explain the difference in his demeanor, I was certainly happy to see it.

After his first rescue, I thought I might see him again given that he has taken up the hobby of escaping out the door whenever he sees a chance. Like many, maybe most, of the cats I rescue, he is an inside-only cat, and once an inside cat gets outside, he is actually more likely to get stuck in a tree than an outside cat. That's because he is less likely to know how to climb down a tree -- after all, there are no trees inside for practice -- and more likely to be entering territory outside that is claimed and defended by other cats or predators who chase him up a tree. So Little Bit is stuck in a tree again, and, this time, he is about 40 feet high in a wooded area just beyond his yard near Franklinton and has been there through one night and a heavy downpour.

While the wooded setting limited my climbing options and the tree gave me fits, Little Bit was as easy to rescue as he could be. He waited quietly for me while I struggled to climb up the tree, and he wasn't disturbed by my activity around him. After we got reacquainted, I held the carrier up to him, and he calmly walked inside. He even stayed relaxed during the rough ride back down to the ground. Michelle took him inside to release him, and he is back to his routine again. He eventually settled in for a nap with his brother, Mushu, who looks like his twin even though they are actually not related.