Baby and Mittens

My recent quiet rescue period ended abruptly with two, similar cases in one day. Both cases were for black cats in the top fork of a small tree which I could not climb in the traditional manner, and during both rescues, I unknowingly turned the camera off when I thought I was turning it on and vice versa. Consequently, I have plenty video of the boring parts of the rescue and no video of the important parts, so I have very few pictures to share.

First was Baby, a two-year-old, one-eyed, sweet kitty who spent two nights in the tree in a wooded area next to her house in Gonzales, Louisiana. She was very anxious to get help up there in the tree and was very cooperative with me with one exception: she refused to walk into the carrier. I really wanted her in the carrier because of my limited positioning options in this tree. I could not get into a position where I could get my lap nearly level with her, but I could hold a carrier up to her for easy entry. Since she refused to go inside the carrier, I had to lift her off her limb and bag her. She didn't struggle or fuss, but she grabbed the limb tightly and managed to get all her claws stuck in the bag. I eventually freed all her claws and got her settled and comfortable in the bag for a safe ride back down to the ground. Debbie carried her back home, and they are both happy girls again.

Just as I was finishing Baby's rescue, Pamela and Cara contacted me about an unknown cat they discovered in a tree in their backyard in Baton Rouge. The cat had been stuck there at least one night. They didn't recognize the cat, but it appeared tame and was wearing a collar. I arrived to find the cat in the top fork of a small tree which I would have to climb the hard way just as I did with Baby earlier. The cat appeared to be friendly, and when I climbed up to him, he proved to be exceptionally friendly and cooperative. He was happy to have some company and help. I managed to work my way up high enough where I could place my lap just below him, and he knew exactly what to do. He did not hesitate to step on my lap, and I enjoyed visiting with him there for a short time. I had already spread the bottom of the cat bag over my lap, so all I had to do was pull the sides of the bag up around him and secure him inside.

Once we were back on the ground, I left him in the bag so I could check him for a microchip. I found a microchip, so I began the process of finding his owner. In the meantime, we transferred him to Cara's carrier, and Cara had already planned to keep him inside her home until we found the owner. I called the microchip company but, instead of talking with a live agent, I could only leave a recorded message and wait for them to return the call. Cara took the cat inside for food, and I packed my gear and left. A few minutes later, Cara told me she found the owner. I didn't recognize it, but the cat had an Apple AirTag on his collar which Cara used to get the owner's phone number. The owner lived very close and came to retrieve the cat, so this super sweet kitty is now safely back home.