Sassy's Second Rescue

It was five years ago when I rescued Sassy the first time. She was an unknown kitty at that time, but Robin agreed to be responsible for her, and she did all the right things to find the owner. When no owner was found, Robin decided to keep her, and Sassy has lived happily with Robin and her daughter, Millie, ever since. Happily, that is, until she got stuck 25 feet high in a tree in her backyard near Hammond, Louisiana. No one was happy about that, especially when the temperature dropped down to freezing that night. Sassy's beautiful long hair may have helped insulate her from some of the cold, but it wasn't enough to make her comfortable or happy.

Sassy was a sweet, cooperative kitty when I rescued her the first time, and I had no reason to believe she would be any different this second time. I was expecting an easy rescue until I saw the tree. This tree is a nasty mess cluttered with limbs and twigs pointing in every direction, and there were large detached limbs up high that were held in place only by thin, dead limbs that could break at any moment. There were no suitable places to install my rope, so it took me some time and difficulty to get it installed in an unsuitable spot. The climb was unpleasant as I had to push through limbs and remove poking twigs from my nose and ears, but, otherwise, rescuing Sassy was pleasant. She was nervous about me at first, but she calmed down quickly and easily after I gave her a few gentle, reassuring pets. Once I got into a suitable position, she needed only a couple minutes to step on my lap. I had already prepared the cat bag on my lap, so all I had to do was to pull the bag up around her to secure her inside for the slow return to the ground. Millie took Sassy inside and released her there, and now everyone is happy again. I just hope I don't ever have to climb that tree again.