Everyone has heard stories of firefighters rescuing cats stuck in trees, but no one really has experienced this in person. I thought it was a myth, but I guess it happens,” North Beaver Township Assistant Chief Chris Snedeker told New Castle News. He and his team realized that cats really did get stuck in trees when they received a knock on their door during a regular meeting in their firehall. A resident reported a cat stuck in a tree with a heavy storm coming in quickly.
So the firefighters took a ride over and sure enough, found a beautiful white cat stuck at the very top of a dead cherry tree. They tried to coax him into a basket at the end of a 25-foot ladder against the tree to bring him down, but the frightened feline wasn’t interested in moving. Cold, scared and hungry, he didn’t understand that the firefighters were there to help.
Eventually, the storm progressed. “There was a lot of lightning by that time,” Snedaker said. “A storm was rolling in. We had to give up.”
Thankfully, the stuck cat remained unharmed even after the storm subsided. Firefighter Tyler Claypool went back to check on him and see if he could get him back out of the tree.
According to NC News, “He brought a golf ball into which he had drilled a hole, then threaded fishing line through the hole. It took several attempts but finally he threw the fishing line over a high branch near the cat. Then he used a rope bag with a basket attached with a D-ring and was able to hoist it up near the cat using a pulley type method.”
This time the cat, now named Forest for his tree-climbing adventures, got right into the box and was brought back to the fire station. They were shocked to hear some people report they’d seen Forest stuck in the tree for two weeks!
Now he’s safe and sound in the firehouse, but the firefighters are looking for a loving, forever home for him. Although they’d love to keep him at the station, there are a lot of events there and they fear Forest might escape and run into the busy street on which the firehouse is located. Instead, they’d rather rest assured that Forest is in a safe, loving environment without risks. Anyone interested in Forest is urged to contact the North Beaver Township Volunteer Fire Department Facebook Page!
(h/t: New Castle News)