Who will remove a cat stuck in a tree? How to remove a cat from a tree: useful tips What to do if a cat is stuck in a tree.

Owners of cats, especially those living in the private sector, are faced with a situation where their pets climb trees. Running away from possible danger or chasing potential production, the cat finds itself in difficult situation, at high altitude. The owner must know how to remove a cat from a tree without harming the pet and himself, because it is impossible to leave the animal without proper help.

Quite often you can see a cat sitting high and meowing pitifully. Cats by nature love to choose elevated places to rest, watching from above what is happening. Positioned higher, the cat can observe possible prey and also notice the approach of a potential enemy.

Enough common cause the fact that a cat ends up in a tree is territorial behavior. By climbing a tall tree, a cat gives a clear signal who is the real owner of the area. This behavior in cats is related to physiology and hunting instincts. Cats that have free access to the outdoors have not lost the ability to hunt, so in the heat of excitement they do not notice that they are climbing too high. Having settled down in the dense crown of a tree, the cat can calmly wait and inspect the birds.

An equally common reason why a cat ends up high in a tree is to hide from potential enemies - dogs. A cat can also be frightened by:

  • People;
  • cars;
  • sharp sounds;
  • explosions of fireworks and firecrackers.

In a fit of despair and severe fear, the cat climbs a tree to save its own life, finding itself in a dangerous trap. Statistics say that most often young animals and those that rarely go outside end up in trees. They are motivated to climb high into a tree by their interest in exploring new territories and the surrounding world, and due to the fact that there is no experience of proper descent, the cat finds itself in a trap.

First steps in removing a cat from a tree

First of all, the owner must determine whether for a pet his help. It happens that compassionate owners begin to panic ahead of time, even at the moment when the cat is just beginning to climb the tree trunk. It is especially worth noting that if this is not the first time a cat has climbed a tree without reaching the crown, then it will go down on its own, without outside help.

Read also: Carrying for cats: choosing comfortable “apartments”

It is important to remember that if the pet does not show obvious signs concern - does not meow, does not rush along the branches from side to side, and also does not make attempts to independently leave a dangerous height, then the owner need not worry. A healthy and strong animal can calmly descend to the ground after spending plenty of time at altitude.

Note! The main reason that a cat cannot descend on its own is the structure of its claws. The direction of growth makes it possible without special effort climb up, but when descending, the claws do not provide the necessary support. Not every cat will dare to go down the trunk backwards.

A rescue operation must be started if:

  • A cat with a collar or leash climbed onto a high-rise building. The animal may become entangled in tree branches, causing serious injury or suffocation. In such cases, you need to try to remove the cat from the tree as carefully as possible yourself or by calling a special service.
  • Weather conditions - strong gusts of wind, frost or bad weather lead to rapid exhaustion of the animal’s body, and a weakened cat will not be able to fully jump from high altitude without harming yourself.
  • A kitten climbed a tree - they do not have the necessary climbing skills and will not be able to leave the height without outside help.
  • A cat sits on a tree for more than 24 hours in a row - these predators have a fast metabolism and a long stay without food can harm the animal’s body.
  • The pet shows signs of concern - trying to get off, meowing loudly and invitingly, rushing around the crown of the tree.

The cat is depressed, exhausted and does not show special features activity. It has been proven that a weakened cat becomes an easy prey for voracious crows.

What can the owner do?

Trying to free your pet from captivity on your own is a completely solvable task. There are a number of tricks that allow you to return your cat to solid ground without contacting special services. Before starting a rescue operation, it is necessary to prepare the area near the tree by removing foreign objects.

This could be remains of construction debris, glass or branches. You can lay disassembled cardboard boxes, old unnecessary clothes, a mattress or a blanket near the tree. If the cat falls down during the rescue process, precautions will prevent possible fractures when hitting the ground.

Persuasion and self-help

You can try to persuade the cat to come down on its own. It is advisable that the owner be alone, without strangers or intrusive advisers. You can ask idle onlookers to move away so as not to further disturb the exhausted and exhausted animal. It is also important that there is no free walking of dogs nearby.

Read also: What to do if the kitten becomes aggressive?

The owner's voice should be filled with confidence and calm. You can leave the animal for short periods of time so that it comes into view. The cat is afraid of large crowds of people, loud screams and sounds, as well as flapping of arms. Instead of calmly descending on its own, the cat begins to climb even higher.

Offer a treat

One of effective ways- play on animal instincts. A cat is a predator by its animal nature, so it is quite easy to make contact if you offer them food.

After spending a certain time in captivity without food or drink, cats become much more sociable. The effectiveness of the method can be increased by using the animal’s favorite delicacies - aromatic fresh minced meat or fish (tuna is best, as it has a characteristic pronounced fishy aroma). It is recommended to heat the food so that the smell reaches the cat's nose faster.

If the tree has a fairly porous trunk, then in this case you can leave a small portion of food on the trunk, and a second portion directly on the ground in front of the tree. After the food has been placed, it is recommended to go a short distance and observe the animal’s reaction.

In addition to food, you can leave a small bowl of water near the tree. Sitting on a tree for a considerable amount of time, cats suffer more not from hunger, but from thirst. It is important to be close to the tree, so that it is in sight, since the bait in the form of food can attract other animals, especially stray dogs.

Some recommend using an infusion of valerian, supposedly it will make the animal go down to its maximum level. short time. Veterinary experts do not recommend conducting such experiments. The fact is that the infusion of this plant causes inadequate reaction in cats, causing increased aggressiveness.

An excited and frightened animal under the influence of valerian may try to jump from a very tall tree and serious injuries cannot be avoided in this case.

Using a ladder

You can try to remove the steeplejack from the tree using an extension ladder. The sliding ladder must be placed against the tree trunk so that the descent is gentle. You should not expect that your pet will quickly understand what kind of help has come to him, but give him some time to assess the situation.

Some people recommend using it as aid a broom with a long handle wrapped in cloth. The rescuers' recommendations are based on the fact that you need to try to remove the animal without scaring it even more.

Calls with requests to remove a cat from a tree are received by 01 dispatchers several times a month. The Ministry of Emergency Situations does not have a special service that deals with animals, so requests are sent to regular duty search and rescue teams. Rescuers have no right not to respond to a call, no matter how ridiculous it may seem. Even if the old lady calling insistently demands to remove the owl that has settled in a tree near her house. This is called helping the population, and almost every brigade in the city faces such situations. A typical duty team is seven people ready to respond on the first call to any call: from utility emergencies and building collapses to helping pensioners stuck in the bathroom and rescuing people under their care. kindergarten from os. In addition to universal teams, there are also specialized ones, for example chemists.

Most often, cats have to be rescued from trees - dogs drive them there. It happens that animals are found in garbage collectors, where they fall through carelessness. Dogs often end up there too. For any call, the team goes to in full force. They say that the complexity of a situation can only be assessed on the spot. Once, while getting a cat out from under the bathtub, an employee got stuck under it himself. The help of the entire brigade was required.

There are also commercial organizations involved in cat rescue. One of them is called “Koshkispas”. “A call costs them 2–4 thousand rubles, depending on the weight of the animal,” rescuers joke. The Ministry of Emergency Situations does not take any money for trips, only sometimes they receive small gifts from grateful owners. The last time a cat was rescued from a tree near a butcher's shop, rescuers were handed a stick of sausage.

Using the loops, we climb up and secure ourselves to the tree. Usually we take a free bag to put the cat in it. If there are not enough stairs, we climb up using construction ropes. It happens that a cat sits far away on the edge of a branch. Then we take a saw and slowly begin to saw down the branch. She goes down and the cat goes down too. And so he gradually jumps along the branches all the way to the ground. This happened when we rescued a cat in the kindergarten yard. He sat for three days, and crows began to fly around. When we were working, all the children and teachers chanted: “Em-che-es!” It was nice.

Rescued pets are almost always returned to their owners. If the animal is homeless, then they try to place it among friends and acquaintances. If that doesn’t work, they hand it over to the police department at the scene of the incident, but this happens infrequently, and the police are usually not too happy about the findings of the rescuers. The last time I had to bring a horse to the department.


Website editor's comment: In the spring, an animal rescuer goes out to remove cats from trees up to five times a day. main reason The reason why cats end up in trees and cannot get down is because they are attacked by stray dogs.
In the midst of spring, a cat fall begins in cities. Homemade pets - cats and cats fall out of wide open apartment windows and from balconies. They escape from the realities of city life in basements, but more often they climb trees. “High-altitude climbers” themselves cannot descend from conquered peaks. There is no unified animal rescue service in the capital. The Ministry of Emergency Situations and utility workers rarely help, since animals are not their specialty. Climbers take the “athletes” down from dizzying heights. Cat rescue services cost from 2 thousand to 4 thousand rubles. The cat hunting season brings income to cat rescuers, and to their owners - headache, because such specialists still need to be found.
It is much easier for a cat to climb a tree than to get down. It's all about the structural features of the claws. You only need to go down backwards. This needs to be learned, but there is no place for pets to train. In addition, they do not understand, unlike street people, what heights can be climbed and what heights cannot be reached. Fear drives poor animals to the very top. Once there, some begin to scream heart-rendingly.
From a post in LiveCity Innulja
The cat has been sitting on the tree for four days. He climbed onto the top of a thick branched poplar tree and “hovered” at the 5th floor level. The first days I screamed at the top of my lungs. Now he is crying angrily and meowing pitifully. He can't go down on his own. Crows are already circling above him. I feel sorry for the cat! In addition, his screaming does not allow him to sleep. No one can sleep in our yard for four nights. How to help the poor fellow? We don't know how to climb trees. But we can pay for the services of a steeplejack. All the neighbors are ready to chip in money. We just don’t know who can save the animal and return peace and quiet to our yard?

Should I remove a cat from a tree?
A pet that finds itself on the street runs in fear to a tree, where it can sit for 6–8 days. Then dehydration sets in, the animal loses strength, falls to the ground and breaks. Crows also represent mortal danger for trapped cats. Sensing a weakened animal, they can peck it to death. If the cat has not come down after a day, you should sound the alarm.
If a cat “hovering” between heaven and earth has an owner, then he solves his problems. If the animal is not owned by anyone, there are compassionate citizens who are not indifferent to its fate. But both of them first start calling the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
- The rescue service saves people, not animals. The cat will come down on its own, there’s nothing wrong with that. “No one has ever seen cat skeletons in trees,” said the Emergency Situations Ministry operator and advised to lure him with sausage or valerian.
If the cat doesn’t “peck” at either one, you can try contacting the nearest fire department.
Some Sentimental Firefighters Agree to Save a Cat's Life
This is exactly what the residents of the yard did, where the cat did not let them sleep for four days. They “agreed” with the firefighters. The brave guys agreed to rent the steeplejack for 4 thousand rubles, but the access of special equipment to the tree turned out to be impossible.
Rescue operation
According to the Animal Legal Defense Center, a flurry of calls begins in late spring. Citizens concerned about the fate of poor animals call asking for help. There are up to five calls a day.
“In the midst of spring, the number one problem is rescuing animals from trees,” said Svetlana Ilyinskaya, vice-president of the Center for Legal Animal Protection. - It’s blasphemy to say that there’s nothing wrong with it. Animals driven into trees die. But their skeletons are not visible, because the bodies fall to the ground. In practice, there have been cases when rescuers came to a call, and the animal was already dead.
Cat rescuers need a backpack and lasso
Svetlana Ilyinskaya told how specialists get the “victims”. For a special operation, cat rescuers need a backpack with a tightening neck and a lasso - a retractable pole that reaches to the level of the 8th floor, with a rope loop at the end. They deftly climb a tree, grab the animal with a lasso, and can with bare hands by the scruff of the neck and into a bag. It is better not to let him out on the ground right away or put him in a carrier. Otherwise, he may take off and climb another tree.
Can I remove it myself?
Everything seems simple. You can remove the tailed steeplejack from the tree yourself. But experts do not advise. There were cases when “would-be rescuers” had to be lowered from trees by professionals.
“This work is dangerous, I would say fatal, even for us climbers,” said cat rescuer of the All-Russian Association of CatsSpasov Alexey Meshcheryakov. “This business has its own difficulties: problem trees, nearby fences with sharp peaks, scratching cats.” I remove cats from trees not for money, but out of compassion.
The work of cat rescuers is deadly
If the cat is not “stuck” at a dizzying height, you can remove it yourself:
Place a ladder and lure the animal with sausage or valerian.
Shake the tree or branch on which the cat is sitting by throwing a rope over it.
“Knock down” the cat with a snowball or a stream of water from a hose.
Reach the cat with a net or push it with a stick.
But the cheapest and easiest way to prevent the flight of a tailed parachutist-athlete is to tighten the nets on the windows.
- To prevent such accidents, it is necessary to limit the cat’s access to open windows and balconies. Stretch gauze or mosquito nets over the frames, advised the Center for Legal Animal Protection.
Utility workers now have new service cat rescue
After unsuccessful attempts to save the cat’s life with the help of emergency personnel and firefighters, residents of Northern Izmailovo who had not slept for four days called dispatch service No. 16. To their surprise, a cat rescue specialist was in the office. He, with a telescopic tube and wearing crampons, climbed a tree and lowered a screaming cat from there for 2 thousand rubles. The utility worker advised, in case the cat climbs somewhere again, to connect a hose to the tap in the apartment and pour water on it, but not on the cat, but pour it towards the tree trunk to force it to come down. Below, stretch the blanket and catch the “paratrooper”.
The Center for Legal Animal Protection confirmed that no-man's cats quite often make second runs and end up back on the treetops. To exclude such situations, the released cat must be placed in a cat shelter, but it is better for one of the residents to shelter the “spinner” at home.
Who will help remove the cat from the tree?

1. The first thing to do is eliminate potential intimidating factors. Perhaps the cat was frightened by a dog that continues to walk nearby, a crowd of people, or a firecracker. It is highly likely that the cat will come down from the tree on its own when it realizes that it has nothing to be afraid of.

2. Clear the area around the tree. Of course, it is not necessary to pick up candy wrappers, but shards of glass, sharp sticks, stones and others dangerous items It's better to remove it. It is impossible to predict where a cat will land when it jumps. Try to protect her from injury.

3. Soberly assess your strengths. Even if you were the best tree climber as a child, things might have changed now. Perhaps you are still in brilliant physical fitness, but can you guarantee that the tree will support your weight? Be careful and do not take rash actions, otherwise you will have to save not only the cat, but also you!

4. Lure with food. If the cat's initial shock has already passed, try to lure it with a treat. Show him your favorite bag of food or treat. For greater effect, open the package to allow the scent to spread. This method will work if the cat was able to pick itself up. Unfortunately, a truly frightened pet has no time for food.

5. Offer the cat a path. If the cat has not climbed very high, a “ladder” will help correct the situation, i.e. a safe way from above to the ground. You can use a strong wide board or stepladder as a ladder. Just lean it against a tree and give the cat some time.

6. Use a ladder or stepladder. If you climb trees - bad decision, then a ladder or stepladder is a great option. Just do not forget to enlist support for your safety: a stepladder or ladder must be supported. If safety is assured, carefully climb up and rescue your furry wretch. And don’t forget about the next point (item 7).

7. Wear a long-sleeved sweater or long, thick mittens. Even if your cat is the most affectionate creature in the world, you cannot predict how she will behave in a stressful situation.

8. If unsuccessful, contact a professional. If your attempts do not bring results, and the frightened cat has been sitting on the tree for several hours, it’s time to call the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Rescuers will bring your fugitive home!

These steps will help remove the cat from the tree. But what you definitely cannot do is: shake a tree, throw snowballs, sticks and other objects at the cat, try to scare it away, etc. All this can lead to unexpected and very unpleasant consequences. Be careful and careful!