'Tigger' - A FIVE DAY ORDEAL

Details

I had just finished my classes, and so I checked the Kat Fone for a message. Being a Monday, there was a high probability of a Kat Rescue call since folks typically try during the weekend to rescue the kitty on their own, and then seek outside help if they have been unsuccessful. Sure enough, I had a waiting message from Bill, about a kitty who had been stuck in Hattiesburg, MS for five days. I called Bill back, and arranged to be there around 5:00 pm. When I arrived, Bill and his high school son, Andrew, came out to meet me and led me to the pine tree in the back yard that had its barkly clutches on "Tigger". The poor kitty was about 25 feet up, chillaxing and occasionally emitting a sad-sounding "meow". I began setting my climbing line, which made Tigger very nervous. He started yowling and moving about on a couple of neighboring limbs. Bill and Andrew spread a tarp underneath him in case he panicked and tried to jump to the ground. When I started up the climbing line, Peggy (Bill's wife), came out to aid in the rescue effort. By this time, Tigger had moved all the way out to the end of a limb and was facing away from the trunk. I was concerned about his ability to turn around and head back as Tigger was not a small kitty, and the limb was very narrow at that point. When I reached Tigger's height, Peggy and I started calling to him, trying to entice him back to the trunk. I brought out some kitty treats, and he showed some interest in them, but not enough to get him moving. After about 15 minutes, Peggy fetched a can of tuna from the house, and this, along with Peggy calling to him, finally got Tigger moving towards the trunk. Tigger let me stroke him when he got close enough, and from there it was an easy nab/stuff into the Kat bag. When we reached the ground, Peggy took Tigger inside for some food/water. After a bit of refreshment, Tigger was quickly back outside investigating as I packed up my gear. He received some tummy scritches from Andrew, and even let me pet him again. As I was leaving, Bill gave me a very generous donation for the Oktibbeha County Humane Society! All were happy, which is how all kitty rescues should end!