Stray/Meridian MS

Executive Summary

Gregg from Meridian MS texted me about a stray cat that had been stuck in their back yard for two nights, could I help? He had tried all of the local authorities with no success. I drove down the next morning and was met by Gregg on arrival. He led me to the backyard where a solid-looking black and white cat was siting on some small limbs in a skinny pine tree at about 25 feet. After one failed throw bag shot, I decided to stem climb the tree as the few available limbs looked too small. During the climb, the cat was totally silent, and Gregg said that it had never made one sound the entire time in the tree. Silence generally indicates a feral cat, and the kitty was probably being fed by someone in the neighborhood as it appeared in excellent condition. As I neared the kitty's personal space, his attitude changed from watchful to wary and he began looking for an escape route. I decided to use my short rescue pole as the kitty would almost certainly not let me touch him. I had Gregg pass up my net. The kitty did not try to dodge the capture loop and I soon had him securely snagged. It was struggle to get the kitty into the net but I finally succeeded. Back on the ground, I scanned for a microchip but none was found. I transferred the kitty to a carrier, and where he ate one can of wet cat food and rejected water. On release, he headed across the street and disappeared behind a house. Hopefully, the kitty will find its way back to whoever has been feeding it. Gregg and Nancy, thanks for your generous donation to the Oktibbeha County Humane Society!