Unknown Juvenile

We don't know how long this unknown kitty may have been stuck in the Pine tree before Heather happened to notice it on her property in Picayune, Mississippi, but it was stuck two more nights in that tree before I arrived to rescue it. The kitty was panting constantly during the hot, rainless, August days, and every time that Heather went out to check on it, the kitty would look at her and plead loudly for help. It broke Heather's animal-loving heart to see this kitty suffering, and her numerous pleas for help eventually led her to me.

Privately, I thought this would be a super-easy rescue, because the cat appeared very friendly, desperate for help, and was very calm during the rope installation process. When I climbed up to her, I noticed she would pull back once I came too close, so I pulled back to keep her from climbing higher. She wasn't sure about me, so I needed to spend some time convincing her of my trustworthiness. My attempts to earn her trust were not working, and she eventually decided to put some distance between us by climbing up and around to a limb on the other side of the trunk. My hopes for a super-easy rescue were over.

I gave her some time to settle there and then I calmly climbed a little higher and around the trunk to a point where she was barely within reach. She soon decided I was too close and walked out the limb about four feet. It took some time, but I eventually desensitized her to my hand enough that she allowed me to touch her gently. A few gentle pets with my hand were all she needed, and her distrust evaporated away. When she took a few steps toward me, I was ready to make sure she did not have a chance to change her mind. I had the cat bag already on my arm, and I calmly grabbed her by the scruff and pulled the bag over her.

Once she was in the bag, she felt betrayed, so I spent a few minutes holding her in my lap and petting her through the bag to reassure her. I took her down to the ground and gave her to Heather who took her inside where she released her in a small bathroom. Heather had already made arrangements to take the cat to the local SPCA, but she wanted to give the cat some time to eat, drink, rest, and feel safe before taking her there. As it turned out, however, a neighbor decided to take the kitty and give her a good, permanent home if the original owner is never found, and that is the happy ending I wanted.