[Vision2020] Caturday (July 2, 2922)

[Tom Hansen]


 Arborist has successfully removed 60 cats from trees and he's happy to give back to the community. He doesn't charge anything. "It just means a lot knowing that people trust us doing these," he said. Welcome to Caturday.

Courtesy of The Star at:

https://www.thestar.com/local-oshawa/news/2022/06/30/local-arborist-rescues-courtice-cat-stuck-high-in-a-tree.html?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark

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Local arborist rescues Courtice cat stuck high in a tree

A Courtice cat owner is grateful for a local business that saved the day, and quite possibly, her cat’s life.

When Jo-Anne Westover’s cat, Jackson, got out last week, it wasn’t until the next day, she and her husband finally heard him in the wooded area behind their home. But they couldn’t see him. Eventually, with the help of a third set of eyes, they realized his cries were coming from above.

“He was at least 50 feet up in the tree — the highest point in the tree,” Westover said.

Attempts to get Jackson down were fruitless and the situation was nerve-racking. “The branches that he was on were very thin,” Westover said. “Each time he’d move, the branches kept swaying.”

The couple contacted Clarington Animal Services for suggestions, and they told them about a local arborist who’s been known to help in this area.

When Zack Acer, owner of Acer Tree, was finished with his call, he came right over. “Right from the ground, I could tell right away that he was extremely dehydrated because he was panting very heavily,” he said.

Westover said Jackson could have been in the tree for almost 24 hours.

Acer, who was first asked to help the lost pet search group Team Chelsea several years ago, is no stranger to this type of rescue. He got to work immediately and made his way up to Jackson. “I just kind of take my time,” he said. “I talk to the cat and work my way up bit by bit.”

After some chin scratches and gaining the cat’s trust, Acer was able to put him in a bag and bring him down to safe ground.

“I am extremely grateful to them,” Westover said. “I thought they were very professional. They were very concerned. They came as quickly as they could.”

There have been instances when Acer has had to get the cat to the vet right away, but Jackson was able to avoid the trip. He spent the next day recovering in the cool basement with plenty of water. “Today he’s acting as if nothing ever happened,” Westover said the next day.

Acer has successfully removed 60 cats from trees and he’s happy to give back to the community. “We’ve had rescues where we’ve had kids crying at the base of the tree,” he said. In fact, he encourages people to contact his company if they find themselves in this crisis, even if the cat’s owners are unknown. He actually had helped remove a stray cat from a tree in Brooklin the day after Jackson’s rescue. 

“We do this as professionals on a daily basis,” he said. “It doesn’t really take much for us to do it in a safe manner.” It’s dangerous for cats to be in trees for long periods of time, Acer said. They can become dehydrated and fall out, and even die, and are prey to predatory birds.

The job can take anywhere from 10 minutes to two hours. Although Acer has seen some companies charging $2,000 for this type of job, he doesn’t ask for anything.

“It just means a lot knowing that people trust us doing these,” he said.

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“Caturday” by Linus Petit
http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_by_Linus_Petit.mp3

Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .

"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)
http://www.MoscowCares.net

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

“A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met.”
- Roy E. Stolworthy
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