As we all know, cats love to climb.
Their love for the altitude is almost an understatement and it tends to get them into really dangerous situations. Situations where jumping down is a matter of life and death.
To how they got there, we’ll never know. But to how they’re going to get down, that’s a job for this man and his team of rescuers.
Up above the canopies, a lonely and desperate call can be heard. Several branches up and you’ll see a rather hefty cat balancing himself between thin twigs and branches.
It’s a mystery how he got up so high, and now he’s stuck.
Picasso, as he was fondly called, has been staying up on the tree for two days now. Those are two days of not eating, sleeping, or drinking. And in those two days, he had to stand and precariously maintain his footing, or else he’s going to fall into his death. You can even see his leg shaking.
Enter, Shaun Sears and Tom Otto. This duo from Seattle are certified tree climbers and they believe that no cat should be left behind – or more specifically, above.
Their team, the Canopy Cat Rescue, takes in calls to rescue cats stuck on trees where some of them have endured the unforgiving situation longer than Picasso. Some cats stay up on the trees for five to six days without eating, drinking, or sleeping.
Their organization is run by donations, but even so, they managed to rescue around 3,000 cats in 10 years.
It might be a comedy movie for some, but this is real danger involving real cats. The team’s goal is to reunite them with their loving families in the safest way they can.
In this video by The Dodo, you can hear Tom call out to Picasso. He was careful to scale the wooden behemoth to keep Picasso at ease. One false move and the cat might panic. This can result in serious injuries or worse.
At first, he kept on calling out to the cat just to let him feel that he’s not here to hurt him.
A calm cat means a less dangerous rescue, so Tom tries his best to keep it that way.
As he climbed closer and closer, he noticed that Picasso began to calm down. He might’ve sensed that this person is going to help him. But even so, he’s still a long way from being safe.
To quell the uneasiness and tension, Tom began stroking Picasso.
The cat purred at the contact, seemingly excited to finally see another person. Somehow, he knew Tom was there to help.
Tom needed to control the situation because this is the most difficult part of the rescue. As he shared with The Dodo:
“The tensest moment in the whole cat rescue is I have to make a decision about when is the best time to get the cat.”
Too early and the cat might panic and squirm. Too late and the cat might grow tired, risking the loss of footing. When he finally gained Picasso’s trust, he picked him up and carefully placed him inside the net.
At this point, all Picasso had to do is enjoy the view going down.
In the end, Picasso was returned to his loving family. Tom admitted that it felt really good when he handed the cat over to his owners. For them, cats rescued are like family members getting reunited with their families.
It’s a moment you can never place a price on.
Cats are good at climbing but not so much when it comes to going down. Good thing these two are here to the rescue.
Watch the tension-filled rescue down below and see how this tree climber saved Picasso.
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