'Watson' - The Kitty Who Went 'Da Boinga'

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It was a Saturday morning, and my wife and I were visiting the cutest grandbaby in the world, one William Wallace, in Huntsville MS, when the Kat Fone yowled. It was Katrina - her mom Tawana received my contact info from a friend familiar with one of my rescues near her area and they needed help -- her husband's kitty "Watson" was stuck in a tree -- did I have any advice? I told Katrina that I was out of town and that I could not help until Monday, but that she could try a kitty basket elevator in the meantime. The next day, I received updates and pictures from Katrina as they hauled a basket with food up just under Watson's perch, but he refused to get into the basket. Sunday night after dark, she texted that Watson was still in the tree, and I promised to be there the next day.

When I arrived, Katrina led me to the tree and explained that Watson was somewhat particular about who could touch him. Fortunately, the pine tree did not have many places that he could go so I felt that the rescue would not be difficult even if he was skittish. I was also introduced to Dane (Katrina's hubby) and Tawana (Dane's Mom). Dane had stopped by to check on the rescue but had to return to work. I set a climbing line (bonking Watson on the head with my throw bag in the process) and started up. When I was about 5 feet from Watson he decided that I was a threat and retreated to the end of a small limb. Tawana and Katrina pulled a trampoline underneath Watson's limb as it looked very unsteady. Tawana assisted in passing my rescue pole up to me as the limb was too small to limb walk for a kitty hand grab. I told Tawana and Katrina to make ready, and then attempted to snare Watson with the rescue hoop. I was not worried about Watson falling, as the trampoline was directly under him and it was not a long fall. Unfortunately, the small limbs around Watson prevented me from getting the hoop around his body, and the only thing I accomplished was to make him squirm around so much that he began slipping off the limb. I made a last ditch effort to get the hoop around him as he was losing his grip, but failed, and he fell off the limb. Watson made a perfect landing on the trampoline, bounced once, and then shot off towards the house with Katrina and Tawana in pursuit. After a brief chase around and under the house, Watson was captured by Katrina and brought inside to safety, food, water, and bed. The trampoline was quite the hero -- I wish they made them in more portable packages so that I could have a trampoline at every rescue! The pictures below of Watson were taken by Katrina after the rescue.