"Kevin" Is STUCK FOR A LONG TIME

Executive Summary

"Kevin" was chased up a pine tree in Tinloa MS by a family dog. April and family tried some DIY rescues attempts, and listened to well-meaning advice that he would "come down when he was ready". However, he did not, and by the time they gave up on DIY rescues and found me, Kevin had been in the tree for 19 days. When I arrived, I was met by Briana (teenage daughter) and Vicky (grandmother) - April was busy doing some taxi duty for some local children. Kevin was at about 45 feet and crying for help. Briana helped me set a rope just above Kevin and I started up. Kevin watched me approach with interest, but hissed when I got close. However, his attitude changed to friendly when I pulled out the treat bag. The scruff grab was a bit of a stretch, and when I pulled him back to me, I was careless with my left arm positioning. Kevin reached out with his claws as all cats do when scruffed, and they sank into my left forearm. I was able to get him disengaged from my arm and into the bag. Back on the ground, I handed Kevin off to Vicky for food and water and Briana helped me pack up the gear. At this point I noticed a large swelling on my forearm; one of the claw punctures had gone deep and nicked a vein, causing a hematoma. Vicky brought out some peroxide and I doused it liberally. April returned home just as I was leaving and thanked me for the rescue. On the drive back, I stopped by an urgent care clinic in Carthage, and got some some antibiotics. By the next morning, the swelling had all but disappeared. I will be more careful next time! Kevin appeared in good shaped despite the amount of time in the tree, and hopefully he will make a full recovery. April and Vicky, many thanks for your generous donations to the Oktibbeha County Humane Society!