5 Risk-Free Ways to Rescue a Cat from a Tree

You’ve probably heard many stories about people seriously injuring themselves (or even dying) while trying to save a cat stranded in a tree. Surely you don’t want to become a part of the statistic, which is why it’s essential to learn about risk-free ways for getting your furry friend down a tree. Here are five such methods!

1.     Let the Cat Deal With Its Own Problems

All cats are natural-born acrobats, so even if your kitty is as fat as Garfield, it doesn’t mean its instincts have died off. If the cat managed to get onto a tree, the chances are it will figure a way to get down. So, instead of rushing to climb the tree the moment you spot your cat there, give it some time to try to deal with its own problems.

2.     Encourage the Cat to Come Down

The reasons why the cat got up there in the first place can be anything from chasing prey to running away from dogs. Whatever the reason might be, you need to show your cat that it’s safe to come down.

To do that, make sure there’s nothing dangerous lurking below the tree, otherwise, the cat will have no intention of coming down. After all, it’s better to stay safe on the top of the tree than come down and be chased by an angry dog.

3.     Make Use of Ladders

Unfortunately, in some cases, the reason why the cat is not coming off the tree is that it doesn’t know how to do it. The thing is that although they’re real pros when it comes to climbing up, cats can’t climb downwards head-first, that's why they get stuck in trees.

To help the cat out, you could lean a tall ladder against the tree so that the top of it is close to the cat. This way, the cat can use the ladder either to climb down to the ground or at least get to some of the lower branches.

Now that we’re on the subject of ladders, the most important thing to remember is not to climb there on your own! Why? First of all, because of your safety, but also because you may freak out the cat. And that can have extremely bad consequences for both of you.

4.     Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst

Maybe you’ve heard the story about a crazy scientist who threw his cat from a building and it survived. Well, the thing is that the cat’s body can reach terminal velocity when falling from a big height. What this basically means is that the cat would relax and spread out, turning itself into a sort of living parachute. The problem is that if the cat doesn’t reach terminal velocity, it’s gonna get killed by the fall.

In order to prevent the worst-case scenario, why not put some pillows around the tree? This way, if something goes wrong, the pillows would provide at least some cushioning. And that can mean all the difference between life and death.

5.     Ask Help from Professionals

No, we’re not talking about calling the fire brigade. Their job is to save humans, not animals. Instead, it’s better to call your local tree surgeons who surely have the right equipment and the right set of skills to handle this job.