How to get your cat out of a tree

By Anjie Coates, AnimalForum.com staff

So your kitty got out and ran up the tree, and now he can't get down. He cries and cries, but he's so high up, now he's scared. What are you going to do?! Here are some tips on how to get Max down safely.

Food: "Max loves cheese!" you think to yourself. Place some of it as high as you can in the tree. This will help entice him down.

Proximity: "Max will be more likely to feel safe if I'm with him." Go to the bottom of the tree to call him, not from the house, or the deck.

Bedtime: "He'll probably come in for bedtime, just like he always does." You're right, cats come out of a tree usually at night, and within three to five days.

Dogs: "He'll never come down if he sees Buttons sitting here." Again, you're right. A cat is far less likely to come down if there are dogs around, so keep them away from the tree and inside if at all possible.

Age: "But Max is only a kitten!" Kittens should be rescued as soon as possible, as they tend to climb to the top of a tree, and don't have the weight or strength to stay in it when a good breeze blows through. Cats may usually land on their feet, but kittens do not.

Declawed: "Max is declawed, he'll never get down." This is unfortunately true. They do not have the tools necessary to get them out of the tree safely.

Experienced cat owners only: "Pinkie, Rose and Misha all did this before, and Dad climbed the tree and got them out." If this is what you feel you must do, take a pillow case and a rope with you. Approach the cat calmly, and talk to him. Put the cat in the pillow case, and secure it with the rope. Lower the cat down slowly to a person on the ground. Take the cat into the house before you let him out.

"Max is safe, I'm glad I read that!!" Max is too! :)