A CAT lost one of his nine lives last week, after getting stuck up a tree.
The feline couldn’t get down, and ended up spending the night not on the tiles but in the branches.
Had he fallen, it would have been into a lake.
The one-year-old moggy, called Lucky, had his own lucky escape after his plucky rescuer risked a 30ft drop to bring him safely down.
Nothing was damaged but the moggy’s pride and, after a hearty meal and a cat nap or two, Lucky was back to his usual purring ways, much to the dismay of the Woodley neighbourhood’s mice.
The young cat had recently been adopted and had only just started exploring his new neighbourhood, in off The Bader Way in Woodley.
His owners, who didn’t want to be named, said: “He’s a playful and inquisitive cat who has been getting to know the area.
“Our home backs on to parts of Dinton including a lake. Outside our garden is a woodland area with some big trees. We can only imagine that he was trying to get a good vantage point, but couldn’t get back down.
“We are hugely grateful to our neighbour who risked everything to climb up the ladder and bring Lucky down.”
They wanted to raise awareness of Lucky’s plight as he was discovered late at night, and they were unsure who to call. Now, they want to help others by sharing the information.
“The internet didn’t give much concrete advice,” they said. “There were the usual tips of offering food, and making encouraging noises, and hope the cat comes down by themselves, but when they’re stuck, who do you call first of all?”
While the cliche is calling the fire brigade, this could prevent crews from attending an emergency. They recommend contacting animal charity the RSPCA to seek advice, rather than carrying out risky rescues, especially if the tree could be unstable.
The charity could suggest contacting a tree surgeon, or the fire brigade, depending on the nature of the incident.
A spokesperson for the RSPCA told Wokingham Today: “When cats get stuck up trees, in a vast majority of cases, they can get themselves down and trying to rescue them can actually put them at risk as they may fall or jump trying to escape.
“That’s why we would normally ask owners to try and tempt their cat down with smelly treats or by warming food a little to increase its odour in the first instance and keep a close eye on them.”
They continued: “If after 24 hours the cat still appears to be stuck, or if something changes in the meantime, we’d ask owners to call us and we will do what we can to help.”
“We may ask owners to contact a tree surgeon if the cat is stuck in a position where our officers would not be able to help.
“There are always exceptions to the rule, for example, if weather conditions are particularly bad or if the cat is injured or very young.
“Worried owners can call the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999, and we can contact the fire services to ask for help if necessary.”
And a spokesperson for the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Our guidance on animal rescues is to contact the RSPCA in the first instance and to not put yourself at risk.
“We will support the RSPCA if they request us due to needing specific skills or equipment, but they would attend the majority of incidents themselves.”
They added: “We will very often provide advice on the phone to the caller and will not deploy an appliance.
“Our primary reason for attending such incidents is to minimise the risk to the public.
“We sometimes see people, such as animal owners, wanting to take risks with their own safety to rescue or help an animal in difficulty.”
