Our Almost "CAT"astrophe

Exactly one week ago today, our beloved 0.4 lb. rescue kitty turned 18 lb. fat cat, Copper - now referred to as "that damn cat" by DH - decided to chase something up a big oak tree in our pasture. She chased it up without realizing how high she was going. When she did, she got so scared she wouldn't come down and she didn't come down until 29 hours later. 

That morning, I went out to walk our dogs about 10:30. After walking them, I went into our garden shed to get my garden tools together. I woke up Bashful from a morning nap and she joined me as I went to the garden beds to do some weeding. Copper was nowhere to be seen. I didn't think anything of it, because it wasn't unusual for her to go off by herself. 

As I was weeding and talking to Bashful, I thought I heard a cat meowing. For a long time, I couldn't tell if it was a cat's meow or a bird call I was hearing. So I decided to call for Copper. As I did, the sound I was hearing became more persistent and there was no doubt to what I was hearing. I was hearing a cat in distress. It took me a few minutes to find her. When I did, she was over half way up a VERY TALL tree.   

All afternoon, I tried to coax her down. At one point Bashful climbed part of the way up the tree and was trying to coax her sister down. Copper was meowing pitifully. Bashful was howling because her sister was in distress. All of which just about had me in tears, because I didn't know what to do. 

When DH got home from working all day, he tried to get her down using a ladder and rigging a kitty elevator. He took a clothes basket and tied a rope around it. With a plate of food in it, he hoisted up the tree close to where Copper was hoping she would climb in and he could lower her down. No such luck. 

All the rest of the afternoon and evening, we tried to coax her down. We went out several times through the night trying to get her to come down. I tried several times during the next day, spending 30 minutes or more under the tree talking to her. DH even took off from work to come home and try the kitty elevator idea again, because he knew I was so worried. 

While he was setting everything up, he threw something up in the tree and that scared Copper enough that she came down on her own. She flew down the tree, up the hill, and into the building where they sleep at night. 

I followed her and gave her some food. She ate and ate and ate. Bashful came in to check on her. Taking the advantage of them both being in the building, I shut the door and there they remained for two days. They were content to be locked up. Copper resting and recuperating. Bashful just happy to have her sister back with her and safe. 

Here is the little trouble maker herself. The only damage she received was a scrape on her lip. It makes her look an alley cat.

This is the tree she decided to climb up.

This is the area where she spent most of her time in.

The highest she got was in the crook of the y-shape limbs.

She also spent a lot of time on these bottom two limbs.

It was a scary experience and I had resigned myself to the fact that my little runt kitten I rescued was probably going to die. When she finally came down, I was so relieved that I didn't know whether to hug her or wring her neck. I settled for the hugging. I just hope she never does it again!

Oh, the simple pleasure and the simple hassles fur babies can bring!