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Fire/Rescue volunteer firefighter O. was positioned at the end of the ladder extended from fire truck at about 11:30 am February 25, and was just about to reach out to rescue a black long-haired cat that had been stuck for days in a tree. The frightened cat, however, then suddenly jumped out of the tree, dropped to the ground, and ran off into a rocky, wooded area. The cat is shown in the left-center area of the photo, perched on a branch. —Bee Photo, Gorosko
You might call him Blackie, the Mystery Cat, the long-haired feline who eluded rescue. (If you were someone who names random cats, that is.)
It was not for a lack of effort, but the disheveled black cat, which reportedly had been stuck high up in a tree for almost a week, on February 25 managed to avoid rescue by well-intentioned firefighters. (I imagine if I was in a tree for almost a week I might be a little less than pristine myself.) They had responded to the scene and extended an aerial ladder (a ladder, huh? wow.) toward the animal in seeking to remove it from its dicey perch about 20 feet above ground at the Norling residence on Marlin Road, off Hill Road.
Norling explained that the unfamiliar cat had been sitting up in the tree near his driveway for nearly a week and seemed for some reason unable to come down. (You’ve been watching the cat up there for a week? How humane of you to finally call someone, chump.) Police were alerted of the situation, as were firefighters, and the animal control officer (Calling all cars! Calling all cars!). They converged at the slush-covered property during a cold rain in seeking to help the stranded cat.
Fire/Rescue Chief C., wearing a long fluorescent-green raincoat (flourescent green? now that’s news!), supervised firefighters who used a ladder truck as a platform from which to try to snatch the isolated cat.
Chief C. noted that the volunteer fire company does not normally respond to retrieve stranded cats from trees. Normally, cats that become stuck in trees eventually find their way down to the ground, he noted, adding dryly, “You usually don’t see many cat skeletons in trees.” (Then again, who’s really looking?)
For some reason, however, this cat had not been able to come down.
Mr Norling speculated that perhaps a dog or a coyote had chased the cat up into the tree, where it had become isolated for almost a week. (Or, he just wanted a peek at that flourescent coat.)
As he had approached the stranded animal, the cat would make “meow” noises, he said. (No way. He meowed? That’s crazy.)
As the fire truck’s ladder was extended toward the cat, Firefighter O. climbed to the ladder’s end and attempted to retrieve the feline. (The suspense is killing you, isn’t it?)
But the frightened cat suddenly jumped away from him in the opposite direction, rapidly dropping 20 feet to the ground (landing on all fours, I bet!), after which the cat quickly ran away from its would-be rescuers who were standing nearby.
Animal Control Officer M. returned to the Norling residence with a baited cat trap in seeking to lure back the cat who had run away, but she had no luck (shocker.)
It is unclear if the cat is owned by someone in the area, she said. If so, it may have run back home after falling from the tree, she said this week.
Or the animal may be a feral cat which has lived in the wild, she said. (So, we deduce here it either has a home…or it doesn’t. And all lived happily ever small-town after. The end.)
Confessions of a Serial Swooper 