Anyone who has ever owned a kitty cat knows that their pet likes to climb on high places, such as kitchen counters or on top of furniture. In fact, cats just love climbing on things, they’re just acting on their instincts.
They usually search for a tall vantage point to take a look at the surroundings.
Moreover, many cats are excellent at climbing trees, but when it comes to finding the way down, their claws fail to help them get back down.
And if this problem sounds familiar, you are just one of the many cat parents who are wondering — how to get a cat out of a tree?
My Cat Is Stuck on a Tree — What Should I Do?
Cats, as natural predators, are great climbers and like to understand their surrounding environment well. Since they are small animals, their scope of vision is also small, and for that reason, they would like to climb tall places, such as a tree to have a better understanding of their surrounding.
Apart from that, a cat may decide to climb a tree if there are any potential predators around. Being vulnerable to attacks of other animals or even other cats, your cat may decide on climbing a tree, as it provides a safe hiding place.
Moreover, your cat might have climbed on the tree just for fun, or she is trying to improve her climbing abilities. Sometimes, their climbing abilities may work well only in one direction — some cats cannot come down after climbing up high.
No matter what the reason is, any cat parent would be stressed about their kitty stuck up on the tree. If your cat can’t find a way down, you can do your part in helping bring her down.
Here are some ways that can help you bring your kitty cat back to the ground from the tree!
1. Entice Your Cat to Come Down
Don’t call the fire departments. Instead, call up to your cat stuck on a tree in a calming voice and entice her with treats. Use the treats or cat food that she likes the best. If you don’t know which one to pick, you can also use any sort of cat food that smells strong. Cat food such as tuna would be a good choice, as it has a strong odor.
If your cat is hungry and wants food, this will be enough to lure her down — but only if she can find her way down by herself. You can leave the cat food at the base of the tree in case your cat is not coming down. Sooner or later, she will get hungry, and the food at the base would work its trick to lure her down.
2. Keep the Dogs Away
Your cat climbed on the tree, probably because she caught the eye of any yappy dogs in the vicinity. Many cats get stuck in trees in order to hide from predators, such as dogs or even raccoons, or some other large animals. This could be the reason your cat is stuck in a tree, she is nervous and fearful about coming down.
Look around the place if there are any dogs. If you see any dog barking nearby, try to make him stay calm and away from the tree. Likewise, do not leave the place after putting cat food under the tree in anticipation that your cat will come down on her own, as the dog may get to the place and may start eating it. All of this can just cause more stress to your cat, and she won’t come down.
Therefore, keep the dogs out of your cat’s sight. It will make your cat feel calm, and she may come down eventually.
3. Use a Laser Pointer
Out of many things, cats absolutely love chasing laser dots, as they are predators by nature and love to hunt or chase anything that moves quickly around them. If your cat loves to play with a laser pointer, you can use it to sidetrack your cat into coming down.
Nearly all cats are attracted to laser dots — point it somewhere your cat is able to see it clearly, even in the daylight.
Keep pointing the laser down the trunk and try to gain your cat’s attention. With a bit of luck, your cat will follow the laser dot down the tree.
4. Try Using a Cat Carrier
For a more complex way of recovering your “tree-stuck” cat, you can send a cat carrier or a laundry basket up on the branch of the tree.
If the branch is not too high, you should be able to manage to get a rope over it. After that, you can tie the pet carrier on one end of the rope and lift it to where your cat is. Make sure the door of the pet carrier is open, so your cat can readily get in.
To increase the likelihood that your cat goes inside the carrier, you can put some cat food or her favorite treats inside the carrier, it can tempt your cat to get in easily. With any luck, your cat will get in, then you can slowly lower the carrier to the ground.
5. Wait for Her to Come Down
If your cat is reluctant to come down, you can try waiting for her to come down on her own. Don’t leave the spot, just keep an eye on your cat and wait for her to come down.
Some experts advise waiting 24 hours but use you must use your judgment accordingly. And if you wait, the cat will become hungry sooner or later and may try to come down on her own.
Cats usually come down of their own, if they are given enough time and space.
Your cat probably may just need space and reassurance that no one, including animals and people, is hanging around to bother her.
6. Call For Help
If you are trying but aren’t able to get your cat down the tree, seeking help from other people can be a good idea. While firefighters might be too busy fighting the fires and saving buildings from fire, you can try getting help from a local arborist.
An arborist can help you with rescuing your cat from the tree but bear in mind that they may also charge you for a small amount to do so. All in all, it is worth it, considering your cat can finally come down from the tree.
7. Get a Ladder and Climb
If nothing works, you can take the action by yourself to bring your cat down. Get a tall ladder with sturdy steps to climb the tree, and make sure there is someone present with you holding the ladder from the bottom. It is because the other person can assist you in recovering your cat or call for help in case you fall down.
Likewise, if you are determined on climbing the ladder, make sure you’re wearing gloves and long sleeves for safety. The gloves can help you take a good grip on the tree and the cat. On the other hand, the cat may even get aggressive given the harrowing situation.
If possible, try to manage to get your cat in the cat carrier, and then you can slowly lower to your partner below. Moreover, this will also make it easier for you to climb down the ladder.
Conclusion
If you let your cat go outdoors, it’s better that you do it with supervision. And to prevent asking yourself the question — how to get a cat out of a tree? — it’s best that you invest in a cat leash or cat harness to keep your cat from climbing in dangerous places.
However, try any of the methods listed in this post if your cat gets stuck on a tree. Moreover, if there isn’t a cat rescue expert in your area, you can also ask your veterinarian or local animal shelter for help and recommendation.
References
- Calm down a crazy cat — PetMD
- Reducing stress in cats — Human Society
- Preventing undesirable behavior in cats — VCA Hospitals