Rescue on the High Trees
Who might this sweet little darling be? She’s the 12 wk old kitten Ted rescued from a tree last night! My co-worker Anna sent out a Facebook post around 9 o’clock yesterday evening requesting the help of anyone with a tall ladder near the Mt. Washington area to help her get a stuck kitten out of a tree at her apartment complex. The kitten was about 25 ft. up and had been clinging to the lofty branch for over two days without food or water. She was terrified to climb down and mewed loudly and desperately every time a person passed by her tree, pleading for their attention and help. A regular ladder wasn’t tall enough to reach her and both the fire department and humane society turned down prior phone calls to help the stranded, frightened little girl. We were enjoying an episode of Master Chef when I checked Facebook and saw the post at about 9:15.
Kitten in need of rescue? Pull, heartstrings, pull! We have a tall extension ladder just aching to be used, and we only live six minutes from her apartment complex! Between my whining, the pathetic look on my face, the realization that his wife wouldn’t sleep that night (meaning, he wouldn’t sleep that night either) if she knew there was a terrified, hungry, dehydrated kitten out there that we didn’t help, and because he’s a stand up kind of guy, it didn’t take long for us to load the extension ladder into the truck, along with a few work lights, extension cords, thick gloves to protect against kitty claws, and a can of tuna – for good measure.
One look at the tree was enough to see that even the tall extension ladder wasn’t going to cut it. The kitten looked down and cried, her little eyes glistening in the moonlight. These are the moments that I am proud to have a smart husband and a tall, manly pick-up truck. Ted backed the bed of the truck up against the trunk of the tree, unfolded the ladder, and positioned it precariously with the base of the ladder on the tailgate and the top of the ladder leaning against the tree. Anna and I stood on the base to secure it. Ted climbed up, up, up into the canopy of branches. Even on tiptoe at the top rung of the ladder, arm outstretched, the kitten was still about a foot away. The kitten was happy to see Ted, but too scared to jump down into his one free hand.
It took a lot of reaching, a little coaxing, and some sweet talking before the kitten was able to show Ted what she wanted him to do. She nudged his hand with her outstretched paw over to the trunk of the tree. She slid her tiny head under his hand so he could grab her by the scruff of her neck. Once he had a hold of her, he readjusted her so his hand was under her rib cage. He carried her down the ladder and plopped her into an awaiting cat carrier. She never used her claws or thrashed her body. She was simply relieved to be rescued. Ted says she was the sweetest kitten he’d ever come across.
I thanked him profusely for being my hero and an all-around amazingly sweet guy to dangerously rescue an animal he’s not even fond of and highly allergic to late on a Monday night. I told him he’d already accomplished his good deed for the month and it’s only August 1! What an over-achiever ;-)
If you live in the area and you’re in the market for a sweet friend, she’s looking for a loving home. Can you say no to this sweetness?
Didn’t think so. It’s okay – I can’t either.
