Realizing that your indoor cat has gotten out is scary enough, but add them getting stuck up a tree to the mix, and the complexity has hit another level. How can you safely get your beloved cat out of the tree and back into your house without you or your cat getting injured? One important thing to keep in mind when you're wondering how to get a cat out of a tree is that, even though cats naturally love to climb, your cat will likely be frightened. More often than not, this is why cats find themselves up in trees. Most cats are not truly stuck. Instead, they're just scared and need coaxing to get down.
Who Can I Call About My Cat In a Tree?
The days of cat owners calling the fire department to rescue their tree-trapped kitties have long since passed. This is particularly true if you live in a condensed urban environment. Firefighters are typically too busy with emergencies, and a lot have policies against rescuing animals from heights.
Call Animal Control or an Arborist to Help
If you do need to call someone for help, it's best to call your local animal control or hire a tree-trimming service to retrieve your kitty. Be aware that it will cost a reasonable fee for a tree-trimming company to come and rescue your cat. However, this is one of the safest and most reliable options, so it is well worth the price.
How to Get a Cat Out of a Tree
The easiest method for retrieving a cat from a tree calls for the aforementioned tree-trimming service. This is by far the best approach if your cat is very high up in that tree, but what happens when your cat has perched itself outside of normal tree-trimming business hours? This is when you might pull out a bit more diligence and creativity.
By-Hand Rescues Are Dangerous
Climbing up a ladder to reach your kitty is not the safest option. If you do elect to go this route, use safety precautions.
- You'll have to be strong and experienced using a ladder in order to employ this rescue method.
- No matter how wonderful your relationship typically is with your cat, they may fight against their rescue for fear of being dropped.
- Make sure you're wearing protective gear, such as goggles, helmets, thick gloves that run up to the elbow, and padded clothing.
- Never, ever do this alone. Ask someone to join you to hold the ladder and be available for emergencies.
Use a Lidded Basket
It's also possible to use a lidded container, like a laundry basket, rather than attempt to carry your cat by hand.
- Your cat may be willing to climb into the basket if it contains some of kitty's bedding or a little catnip.
- You can then carry them more safely down the ladder. This may work if you are very strong and your kitty is fairly lightweight.
Coax Them Down With Treats
Food-driven cats can sometimes be coaxed down with tempting food.
- Choose a strong-scented food that your cat enjoys and shake the bag or tap on the can to see if that will lure them down.
- Sometimes, it's helpful to place food on the ground at the bottom of the tree and step away. When they want to, they'll come down in their own time.
- Once you have your cat, consider adding some enrichment to their indoor environment to avoid door-dashing again.
Let Kitty Rescue Herself
Although this may be difficult for some cat lovers to accept, cats can often get themselves down from a tree. Felines are fairly adept at climbing, and most will come down on their own when they become hungry enough, calm, or tired of their adventure. When you consider the dangers involved when trying to rescue your pet yourself, exercising a little patience is a reasonable option before you attempt more drastic measures.
