kitty rescue Maine style

[magical thyme]

Arborist Rescues Damariscotta Cat

A frisky orange feline named Lucy proved how much mischief she could get into last week when she was reportedly driven up an oak tree by a coyote. The 1-year-old cat climbed over 50 feet up a tree in Damariscotta, Wednesday, Sept. 3.

Neighbors, friends, and family gathered to encourage Lucy to come down, to no avail. After two days in the tree, and no movement from Lucy, the family called the Damariscotta Fire Department and arborist Christian "Critter" Bowdoin for help.

The Hartman family's two other pets, an orange cat named Peanut and an orange dog named Penny Lane, sat at the base of the tree for two days waiting for Lucy to come down.

As the fire department started to bring in the ladder truck, Bowdoin coaxed the cat closer by shaking a bag of cat food. After a few anxious moments, Lucy moved within reach of Bowdoin, who grabbed the mischievous young cat and stuffed her into a pillowcase.

"The cat's in the bag," Maddy's grandmother Vicki Hilton shouted excitedly, which brought laughter and sighs of relief. Bowdoin, with the pillowcase containing Lucy firmly in his mouth, rappelled down the tree to safety.

http://lincolncountynewsonline.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=75&ArticleID=62602&TM=29826.94

[LisaLynne]

1. The orange ones are always extra trouble!

[IdaBriggs]

2. I used to use pillow cases to transport my kitties to the vet

instead of a traditional cat carrier.

The pillow cases could be "popped" over their unsuspecting heads, while cat carriers provided too many opportunities for me to end up bloody.

Good for this wonderful guy!

[hifiguy]

3. Stand the cat carrier on end with the open door pointing up.

Pick up feline and lower into carrier back legs first.

That always worked for me.

[IdaBriggs]

4. Felines would then perform acrobatic maneuvers to "climb" my arms using claws.

Back legs could *always* twist into near pretzel contortions for such activities!



I had *very* clever kitties. I miss them. Sigh.

I lost my beloved Skyfire when she was 18, her son (Wind)Storm when he was 19, and we grieved (Wood)Mist (a barn cat's kitten) at 7 due to cancer. The Evil Onyx kitty only lived with us for three years before we had to find her a new home -- we have now been "catless" for nearly four years.

I miss them still.

[shenmue]

5. Yay, kitteh!

[DinahMoeHum]

6. Cat-in-tree rescuer on "Animal Planet"

Yep, it's another Ginger Tabby in trouble!!

Dan Kraus's website:
http://www2.catinatreerescue.com/view/dankraus.cfm

[joeybee12]

7. Yay for the kitteh and for Critter!