A cat by the tail: How the Ministry of Emergency Situations saves cats The St. Petersburg edition of The Village talked with employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations about why serious rescuers are obliged to remove cats from trees and what strange situations occur

Among the owners of mustachioed and striped pets, there is probably not a single one who has not at least once wondered how to remove a cat from a tree. By the way, owners of apartment cats should not think that this problem will not affect them - a domestic purr can easily jump onto a branch right from the balcony if a suitable tree grows nearby.

How to remove a cat from a tree? American police experience

Why does a cat climb a tree?

This happens for various reasons. For example, like African leopards, some city cats are not averse to spending a hot afternoon on the branches. In addition, the surrounding area is clearly visible from there, and the dogs will not reach it. And also, by climbing higher, the cat shows his relatives that he is the boss in the yard.

From the tree you can see the entire yard at a glance

There are other reasons, including:

• hunting instinct. It is he who forces the beast to make its way to where the sparrow is chirping. When the bird flies away, the unlucky hunter suddenly realizes that he has climbed too high and begins... loudly calling for help;
• yard dogs. They are always not averse to scaring their eternal competitors, so they often drive them into trees. In fear, a cat is able to fly up the trunk in a second, and then, hiding in the branches, quietly wait until the local Barbos becomes hoarse from barking or finds other fun. True, it is not always possible to descend to the ground on your own;

You will not get!

• curiosity. Young animals are more likely to suffer from it. Not without reason, they consider a tree an object worthy of study, so they take up the task without fear, and having climbed to a great height, they begin to meow pitifully.

Adult cats, who are not in the branches for the first time, usually descend on their own, since they know how to do this and are not afraid to do so.

An adult cat descends from a tree on its own in this unusual way.

Their less experienced relatives prefer to call for help. The problem is that the claws of furry pets are designed in such a way that they help them easily climb up the trunk, but are completely unsuitable for descending, therefore:

• if the animal decides to crawl up the trunk upside down, it will not be able to hold on with its claws, so it risks falling under its own weight;

Up or down?

• if he understands that it is better to go down with his tail, he will be afraid to expose his back to a potential “enemy”, because a predator must be careful!

There are individuals that, like squirrels, jump from branch to branch, and from the lowest one to the ground, but there are not many of them.

I could barely resist!

Cat is a flying squirrel

When to save

So, your beloved cat is sitting on a tree. The owner's first instinct is to organize a rescue operation. Is it necessary to do this? Yes, if:

• a pet with a leash or harness, which means there is a risk of getting entangled in the branches and dying from suffocation;
• It’s frosty, hot, or a strong wind is blowing outside. Hypothermia (overheating) is automatically added to the animal’s psychological trauma, which leads to rapid loss of strength. A weakened pet runs the risk of falling and being seriously injured;
• there is a young cat in a tree who has no idea how to return to earth;

Kitten asks for help

• the animal sits in the branches for more than a day and screams;
• the pet is trying to get down and is loudly worried because he is not succeeding;
• the cat, which just recently meowed heart-rendingly, shows no signs of activity. Such an animal is most likely weakened and can easily become a target for crows.

Crow Attack

Rescue measures in such cases are needed urgently, and it is better to remove the cat from the tree before dark.

In other situations, when the cat demonstrates that he sits on the branch voluntarily and feels great, there is no need to panic ahead of time.

I'm exhausted, but I'm holding on

Feeding the steeplejack

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One of the options for getting a cat out of a tree is to bait the steeplejack with a tasty treat. This will work especially well on an animal that has been sitting on a high tree for a long time and has become hungry.

Important! As a bait, you should choose a medium-sized tasty treat so that the cat can definitely see it. An important factor is the smell of the treat; it must be strong so that the stuck animal can feel it even at a decent height.

If the owner knows what delicacy his pet prefers, it is worth using this particular food as bait.

It will be most convenient if the cat is stuck on a branch located near the balconies of residential buildings. Then it will be easier for a person to lure a steeplejack with a tasty treat through a window or vent.

With the help of neighbors

Sometimes fate gives gifts. For example, at the moment when you are puzzling over how to remove a prodigal cat from a tree, it may turn out that a climber lives next door or just a fearless guy who is not averse to participating in the rescue of your pet. If he has never done this, a good person should be warned that:

• getting to the cat is not everything. It is important to remove it from the tree and carefully lower it down. A frightened predator, at the sight of an unfamiliar but purposeful person, may fall into despair and firmly sink its claws into a branch;
• the cat must be picked up on the first try, since the second, most likely, will not happen - having escaped from the embrace of the savior, the frightened cat will most likely climb even higher;
• to prevent it from breaking out, it should be grabbed by the skin of the withers and under no circumstances let go, despite the song of protest and active resistance;

When you grab a cat by the withers, it is important not to let him go

• Before lifting the cat, you should slightly pull it forward along the branch so that the claws curved back do not cling to the tree bark, otherwise you can dislocate the pet’s delicate paw. When the branch where the sufferer is sitting is higher than the second floor, it is better for the rescuer to take with him a backpack or bag made of thick fabric, where he can place the rescued animal.

Every cat owner should have a carrier bag

Upon returning to his native land, the tailed steeplejack should be handed over to the happy owner and only after that should he respond to applause and say words of gratitude.

The cat is saved!

Rescue help

What should you do if your cat is stuck in a tree, you can’t get it off on your own, and she’s afraid to get down? Perhaps you should call the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The rescue service dispatcher will give remote recommendations over the phone on how people should behave before the rescuers arrive.

Don't be afraid to seek help from specialists. They know exactly how to get a cat out of a tree, and will be able to save an animal whose owners’ fear could cost it its life. The owner of a stuck cat should help emergency workers whenever possible. They may need the cat to hear the voice of a familiar person or simply see him. As a rule, cats are more willing to go into the hands of those they know.

On one's own

The next method is suitable for those who decide to save the cat themselves, and consists of luring him out of his “habitable” place, and then forcing him to go downstairs. You must first ensure that the hero’s landing place is safe, which means removing glass, stones, scrap metal and other dangerous debris from under the tree. If this is not possible, the ground under the crown can be covered with pieces of corrugated cardboard, old clothing, unnecessary blankets or mattresses. When the area is prepared, you can get down to business:

• ask neighbors and onlookers to move away and speak more quietly so that the cat does not climb up out of fear;
• ensure that there are no dogs in the special operation area;
• persistently call the purr by name in a kind voice, moving away from the tree for a while, and then approaching it.

Take me away from here!

Using bait

If the cat is still sitting on the branch, you can attach a bait, for example:

• a cat's favorite treat, for example, fragrant canned fish for animals. Some of the food can be left on the tree branches, the rest on the ground. It’s better to move away and watch the cat;

Sausages are also suitable as bait

• plastic container with clean water. This technique can be extremely effective if the action takes place in the hot summer. Just like food, water should be left in two places - a bowl on the ground and another one secured higher.

Trying to speed up the rescue operation, many use valerian as bait, because cats are partial to it. This should not be done, since the animal’s reaction can be unpredictable - from falling from a tree to aggression. Under the influence of heart drops, a cat can go straight to the top of a tree.

If the paw stretches, it means the bait is “working”

Laser pointer

So let's continue. To lure the cat to the ground, a laser pointer will also come in handy. You will have to act carefully so that the beam does not hit the animal in the eye:

• you should choose a position from where the cat will be clearly visible;
• turn on the pointer and point it at the branch where the pet is sitting;
• place the light point in the animal’s field of vision and move it left and right with a small amplitude to interest the “victim”;

As soon as the cat reacts, you should “lead” it closer to the trunk, and as the animal moves, towards the ground. Sometimes this is enough for the animal to descend safely.

This tool makes it easier to lure a cat out of a tree

Is it possible to drag a cat by the tail?

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When the question arises of how to remove a cat from a tree, all available methods are used. It happens that the cat is either stuck low or sitting on a branch growing not far from the balcony or window. Sometimes it happens that a person climbs the stairs to a height where a fluffy one is stuck, but the latter is not given into his hands.

Then you need to remove the victim by force. In general, the cat's tail is quite fragile and plays an important physiological role, but if pulling on it is the only way out of the situation, then you can resort to it.

Using a ladder

If the fluffy steeplejack is not sitting too high, you can try to remove it from the tree using a sliding ladder. It is placed against the trunk, forming a gentle slope. It is unlikely that the animal will immediately understand the meaning of the maneuvers, but it is possible that it will take advantage of the offer.

Rescue of a cat will be quick and successful if you do everything correctly and avoid mistakes, the most common of which is trying to shake a tree. No matter what height the animal sits, the result of such a rescue may be fractures and death of the animal.

The stairs helped!

Call the rescue team

When the listed methods end in nothing, the last option remains is to contact an organization that would help in this matter.

Rescuers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations are ready for anything

Considering that in Russia there are no narrow-profile structures that would specifically deal with the rescue of poison dart cats, you can call:

• the utility service may have people working there who can remove a pet from a tree;
• to the local rescue service or department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. By the way, they are not obliged to remove pets from trees, but they often do it, and even for free;
• to a company that deals with cutting down trees and trimming crowns. Alternatively, you can turn to professional climbers. These guys have the equipment and skills to help you deal with the problem quickly.

Don't forget about the possibilities of the Internet. An advertisement posted on social networks sometimes “works” much faster than some services respond to a call.

Table 1. Selected information on the cost of services for removing cats from trees in individual cities of Russia.

Undoubtedly, calling rescuers can be expensive, because often special equipment is involved in the process, and the work of people costs some money. And yet, no matter how much you have to pay to save your beloved cat, his life and health are incomparably more valuable.

Saved!

Expert opinion: is it necessary to remove cats from trees and who is doing this in Tver?

The TIA editors often receive requests for help in removing a cat from a tree. As a rule, callers do not know what to do or who to call in such situations, some climb to save the animal themselves, and as a result, not only cats, but also compassionate climbers have to be removed from the tree. Where to call if a cat sits on the top of a tree for several days and meows pitifully, will the rescuers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations help you, and is it necessary to remove pets from the trees at all, a TIA correspondent found out.

Hello, is this the Ministry of Emergency Situations? Get the cat out of the tree!

As a rule, when they see a kitten mewing piteously on a tree, eyewitnesses immediately call rescuers or try to rescue the animal themselves.

112 dispatchers receive calls with requests to remove a cat from a tree very often, but the Ministry of Emergency Situations does not have a special service that deals with animals, as well as free rescuers.

Anatoly Viktoruk , head of the emergency rescue service of the Tver region:

— The main task of the emergency rescue service is to take all possible and impossible measures to save people in trouble. Fires, accidents, incidents on the water - we exist to ensure safety and rescue.

You understand that when rescuers are involved in solving these problems, what kind of help can we talk about for a cat that has climbed a tree? There are people for whom an animal is more important than human life, but this is a separate topic. All this, of course, does not mean that we do not respond to such cases. If you have time and free energy and funds, then we will certainly go and help.

However, in the summer we have more work than ever: accidents on the water, fires and lost people in the forest - we can’t list everything.

Recently there was a case in Tver when a girl climbed to save a pet stuck on branches at a height of 12 meters and was unable to get down on her own. Rescuers had to remove the frightened housewife.

Anatoly Viktoruk advises: if you are still trying to save a cat from a tree on your own, calculate your strengths and capabilities. The branch may break off, and then the consequences of the rescue operation may become irreversible.

“Why save at all? Have you ever seen a cat skeleton in a tree?

This opinion is a myth, says the head of the Initiative Group for the Protection of Animals of Tver Nikolai Morozov .

Cats are not always able to climb down from a tree on their own. Their claws are designed this way: it’s easy to climb up, but to get down is only backwards and “into the void.” To learn how to descend correctly, cats need to constantly engage in such “climbing.”

— Most often, fear drives sailors into the tree. At heights they become even more frightened, and it turns out that you climb after them, and they rise even higher from you. The result is a cat at the height of a multi-story building, and you are biting your elbows under a tree and don’t know what to do.

One thing I can say for sure: cats need to be removed from trees. It is clear that no one has yet seen cat skeletons on branches, but no one knows about the consequences of descending on their own. The fact is that not at any height the cat has time to group correctly and land on its paws. Veterinarians even have their own statistics on cats falling from windows: the 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th floors are the worst, but when falling from the 5th and 9th floors, the animal’s injuries are minimal.

An improper fall can result in numerous fractures, including the spine, and bruises of internal organs. A stressed cat will run away, but history is silent about what happens to it next.

Add to this weakness from hunger and dehydration after several days spent on the tree, which also does not end well. Therefore, if a cat’s stay in a tree does not resemble sightseeing and lasts more than a day, then the animal needs to be rescued.

Who will save?

In difficult cases, when the cat has climbed very high, only industrial climbers and only for a fee:

— The asking price is about a thousand rubles. But in any case, this is cheaper than an unsuccessful rescue operation, which can end disastrously for both the person and the cat. If you still decide to climb a tree, arm yourself with thick gloves and a bag where you put the rescued animal, hold it as tightly as possible and only by the scruff of the neck.

Don't forget that a scared cat can leave long-healing marks on your body and face.

How industrial climbers save cats

They most often help remove cats from trees, dangerous roofs and balconies:

• First, the dispatcher finds out by phone and records data about where exactly and in what circumstances the injured animal is located. This is important in order to choose the most effective method of rescue;
• if there is insufficient preliminary data, a specialist first goes to the site, collects the missing information and transmits it to the control panel;
• special equipment arrives or, as an option, the climber climbs the tree using a special fastening system;
• the rescued cat is placed in a special bag so that it does not jump out and is not injured during the descent;
• the specialist comes down, hands the cat to the owner, and then unwinds the fastening system.

Employees of such companies, as a rule, quickly respond to calls, perform work promptly and flawlessly, as evidenced by hundreds of rescued animals.

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