TOLEDO, Ohio — One lucky kitty is presumably much, much more comfortable on Saturday after spending close to two weeks stuck in a tree in north Toledo.
According to the Compassionate Village, a local animal rescue group, ‘Manhattan’ was stuck in what appears to be 35 to 40 foot tall pine tree on Manhattan Blvd. since June 7.
After calling police and fire crews who, despite popular conceptions, are not in the business of rescuing cats from trees, a concerned citizen got in touch with Humane Ohio for help.
Initial efforts to rescue the cat failed after a would-be rescuer climbed about halfway up the tree only to watch as the cat climbed even higher.
Recognizing the need for professional help, Compassionate Village got ahold of Northwestern Tree Service and Landscaping who were ready to use their expertise, a cherry picker truck and some Meow Mix to try and lure the cat to safety.
It took less than 5 tension-filled minutes for worker Aaron Norris to get hold of the cat, who was apparently so stressed out that he bit Aaron hard enough to draw blood.
Britni Wilson-Carleton, with Compassionate Village, says it’s a miracle that the kitty survived the ordeal, who was very weak after spending so much time without access to food or water.
Dehydrated, hungry, matted, and covered in tree sap, the cat was taken by Compassionate Village to VCA Sylvaniavet to begin the process of getting healthy again, which it looks like might take a while.
According to Compassionate Village, ‘Manhattan’ appears to be a domesticated cat, having already been fixed.
Once the kitty is given a chance to rebuild his strength, Wilson-Carleton says the cat will likely be adopted ut, possibly to one of the people in the neighborhood who were so concerned about the cat in the tree.
If you’d like to make a donation to help pay for ‘Manhattan’s’ care, please visit Compassionate Village’s website.
