Getting a Cat Out of a Tree

Cats climb trees for a number of reasons. Kittens like to play and explore and don’t have the worldly caution that an older cat does. Your cat might have seen a bird higher up the tree and as a predator he’s not thought much about his predicament. Your cat may also have been chased up a tree by another cat or a dog. No matter what the cause is, getting some cats down can be a challenge. Below are tips on how to get a cat out of a tree.

Getting a Cat Out of a Tree

You’ve established that your cat isn’t going to come down of it’s own accord and you’ve tried rattling its food box or tapping its can of food. You don’t want to leave your cat up there for too long before taking action, especially if it is a kitten. Make sure no other animals are around that scared your cat in the first place. Cats will be able to smell if there’s another predator around them and won’t budge.

If it’s a tree in your own back yard and not super high then you could try placing a ladder up and seeing how far it takes you. If you have a ute, you can park it under the tree and place the ladder in the back to add height. Try placing some wet dog food on the highest branch you can get to. Dog food has a stronger smell than cat food and might lure your cat down. Check to make sure your cat does not have a collar stuck on a branch first.

If that doesn’t work then you will need to put on protective clothing for your body and hands. Wear strong gloves because you will have to grip the tree and your cat may scratch you. You can take up a pillowcase to put your cat in, and if you make it to your cat you can scruff him because that will help put him into a trance. If your cat is too vicious for a pillowcase then you could try attaching a plastic laundry basket to a rope, sling the rope over a tree branch and have someone at the bottom pull it up the tree. Place cat food in the laundry basket and see if your cat jumps in to eat it. If so, lower it down gently.

If the tree is a lot higher than a regular tree, perhaps rural trees, then you may like to call on local services like a tree trimming service or a street light maintenance service. You may also like to contact the local animal shelter for their advice.

Things to Avoid Doing

Unless you live in a small town or know whether your fire department responds to requests of cats up a tree it might be best not to call them. Perhaps if all else fails then you could call them and see what they suggest or if they do infact respond to this kind of request.

Don’t fire a high pressure water hose at your cat. This can cause your cat to fall and injure itself.

Don’t push your cat in any way to make it lose it’s grip unless you are there nearby to catch him.

How this Can be Prevented

You can decide to make your cat an indoor cat or you can build a cage outside for your cat to have some outside time. This is perhaps quite a strong lifestyle choice for your cat. Otherwise you could wrap the tree trunks in your yard with polythene or tin foil. Cats can’t get any traction on either. You would have to make sure it goes high enough up the trunk. However, this does not stop your cat from wandering into other yards and climbing other people’s trees. You could also try squirting your cat with a water pistol to deter it from climbing trees.

Once your cat is down from the tree, give him or her a big hug.