If a cat can get stuck in a tree once, he can get stuck a second time. Or a third. Or many more. For most cats, it's a one-in-a-lifetime event, but there are a few cats who are repeat offenders. Of these, a small percentage are truly exceptional and can get stuck in a tree five or more times. Among the rescues I have done, currently, Simba holds first place with eight rescues, but now there is a new challenger on his tail running a close second with seven rescues. This challenger is Simon from rural Bunkie, Louisiana, and, like Simba, he is an escape artist who is also a tree addict, so when he escapes, he heads straight for a tree. In the past, when Simon escaped, he would get stuck in one of the many trees in his own front yard, but these past two times, he wandered farther away, and it took two days to find him.
This time, Simon was about 50 feet high in a tall Oak tree, and he was far out on a long, arching limb where I would have a very difficult time reaching him. But I know Simon, and he has demonstrated before that he will come to me if I can just get somewhere close. I shot my line into a fork where his limb began, and Simon became so excited and energized by the attention that was now coming his way that he crawled, slithered and slid his way down that arching limb into the fork where I was setting my line. That was good news, but to finish installing my rope under his feet, I had to go slowly to be sure I did not cause him to fall.
Simon has readily walked into a carrier in some of his past rescues, so I brought the carrier along with me, and, after we got reacquainted, I held the carrier up in front of him fully expecting him to walk inside. As you can see in the video (below), he didn't want to do that this time. I gave him three opportunities, but he kept turning his head toward me and pushing the carrier away. It wasn't particularly comfortable for me while I was dangling there pressed against the stem with no foothold, but I made a lap for him, spread the bottom of the cat bag over it, picked him up, and set him on my lap. He settled in there while I reassured him some more and began to pull the sides of the bag up around him. Once he was secured inside, I took him down and handed him to Amanda. Simon is safe, comfortable and happy to be back inside again, but I suspect he might also be planning his next escape.
The next day, I had another repeat offender to rescue. This time it was Dusty near Killian, Louisiana, and this was only his second time. He was in the same tree as before but a little higher this time. He was friendly and cooperative last time, and I expected the same from him this time too. As expected, just as before, he stepped inside the carrier for an easy ride back down to the ground. I turned him loose there, and he calmly walked over to Taria, and they both enjoyed being reunited again. Taria sounded resolute and confident in telling me that there are going to be some changes so that this can not ever happen again. I believe her, but Dusty is a cat, and cats seem to find a way. Time will tell, but if Dusty gets stuck again, I won't mind rescuing him again. Easy cats like Dusty are fun to rescue.
