Moki

When their cat gets stuck in a tree, most people think that a rain storm will motivate the cat to come down on its own. After all, most cats do not like being caught outside in the rain, and they will run for shelter when they do. Yet, out of all the hundreds of cases I have seen, only once have I heard of a cat coming down because of the rain. Indeed, rain almost guarantees that the cat will stay in the tree. As miserable as a cat may be in the rain, it is usually not enough to cause them to overcome their fear of falling while trying to climb down, and the rain makes the climbing conditions even worse by making the bark softer and more slippery.

As much as it distresses us to think of our cat stuck in a tree during a rain storm, it is actually the best thing that can happen to them other than being rescued. Especially on hot, sunny days, the clouds alone will bring some relief from the sun, and the rain will cool their body. Furthermore, the cat will lick the water off his body and stay better hydrated that way. In those cases where a cat was stuck in a tree for a very long time, it was usually frequent rains that made their survival possible.

Moki was not the exceptional cat who came down during a rain storm, and he was not even the beneficiary of frequent storms to help him survive his seven days at the top of a small tree during a hot, dry week in August, but he did benefit from one rain storm on his fifth day in the tree. Moki is a much-loved, eight-year-old kitty belonging to Ricky and Charlotte in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and they were very distressed as they searched for ways to get him down. It was their neighbor who told them about me on Moki's seventh day, and Ricky called me right away. I was there an hour later.

Moki was hot and panting as I climbed up to him, and he did not appear to be disturbed by me at all. In fact, he had little reaction to anything, and I interpreted that to be a sign of exhaustion. This unusual, long-hair beauty looked like the rain left him in need of a good brushing, and I was sure he would get the grooming he needed once he was back inside. I got into position so that he could step on my lap, but he was just too tired to move. I placed my hands under his back legs and lifted him out of the fork he was in, and then he stepped calmly onto my lap. I had already spread the bottom of the cat bag over my lap, so I pulled the sides of the bag up around him and secured him inside for the trip back down to the ground. He is safe at home now, Ricky and Charlotte are greatly relieved, and they all have a greater appreciation for the life-sustaining gift of a rain storm.