To Rescue A Cat

You know, I always thought that if a cat got stuck up a tree, you would call the fire department, and they would come, use their ladders, and pull the cat out of the tree.  Barring that option, I had secret hopes of Robert Downey Jr. coming along in his Iron Man suit and saving the cat for me... (Not to mention perhaps deciding that I was a better match for him than Pepper Potts, but that's another story.)

So, our cat got stuck up a tree.  It was a very old, tree, too.  A very tall, very old tree.  By the time we found her, she was about 50 feet up.  Every time we tried to get closer to her, or tempt her down with treats, she climbed higher.  We put out a can of tuna for her, and left the scene, hoping she would work herself down, and we went inside.

After 48 hours of her up the tree, crying piteously, we decided that we needed to get a little bit more serious.

We tried calling the fire department, but I was told that they didn't do that anymore.

I attempted to get hold of Iron Man or Batman or Superman, but none of them responded to my repeated cries for help.

So, I did what any normal person in 2014 would do.  I Googled "how to get a cat out of a tree".

If you have some time, Google search that phrase.  There are some adorable pages of advice about rescuing a cat from the tree.

We called a tree service, and were told that they'd gladly come get the cat out of the tree - for $250.

We all looked at each other, befuddled by what our next option was going to be.  My husband said "Well, you never see a dead cat in a tree."

My daughter promptly flounced off to the tree.  She put the ten foot ladder up into the tree, and climbed as high as she dared.

Standing there, she called her in her sweet little voice:  "Luna!  Luna!  Come here!  Look what I have for you!  Treats!"

Luna meowed back at her, and daughter meowed at her and called again "Luna!  Treats!"

Slowly but surely, Luna began working her way downwards... face first, walking down a branch, gently and tenderly.  She jumped from there down to a lower branch, got her footing, and then attempted another jump down.... and that is when disaster struck!

She missed the branch and started tumbling.

You know the scene in Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, where Pooh's balloon breaks, and Pooh ends up tumbling down through the leaves and branches?

Yeah, that's what this looked like.  Daughter was screaming, the cat was attempting to right herself, and everytime the cat worked her feet back under her, she'd hit another batch of leaves - enough leaves to slow her descent, but not enough for her to grab onto.

And then, the disaster was over.  Luna righted herself and got her feet under her.  Husband had pulled a cushion off the sofa when daughter started up the tree, and he neatly caught Luna as she landed - feet down - on the cushion.

Luna's annual vet visit was yesterday.  She was checked over by the vet, who could find nothing wrong with her.

Luna herself was thrilled with the can of tuna and the bag of treats that was given to her upon her safe arrival back upon the ground.

She spent her first night back on the ground curled up next to daughter, with one paw stretched out, holding onto her arm all night long.