Poor Oaksley!

Drove over an hour here, no ladder, and told me to put a bowl of wet food at the bottom of the tree.

I freakin' put a bowl of salmon dinner at the bottom of the tree shortly after I found him, to try to lure him down.

Now the wind has picked up and the tree is blowing around a bit. Oaksley clinging and crying.

I did just realize a bucket truck can reach him. Have to try to reach tree-guy. Will try bag of salmon treats first, jic he decides it's scarier to hang on to blowing tree than trying to get back down.

Been there, done that, more than one time.
They DO come down eventually, usually after a few hours, tho one of my cats stayed till morning.
The other one figured out how to get down when I went back into the house cause he wanted to be in for the night.
As long as i was under the tree pleading with them, they would meow and act frantic, but stopped when I left.
Or, as my vet said, he never heard of a cat skeleton found in a tree.

He's been up there since around 7:30 am. He's very timid...even on the catwalks on my barn, he's only just barely started exploring them and is very timid compared to my prior cats.

But I remembered a pine board I thought was 3" x 16' long. Turned out it's only 12', but searching for it I found 2 other boards left over from building my barn. 6"x 12' of pine each.

I've just built him a 22-23' ramp. I've dragged my step ladder down below, which gives me another 4' plus leverage. If it's long enough, I'll be able to slide it up the tree to just beneath him and give him a ramp down to the step ladder. I'm going to bait it with salmon dinner before sliding it up there to lure him on. I think it will be an easy enough angle to give him the confidence he needs...

Wish me luck!

It might be far fetched, but can you try calling (or even go there in person) your nearest fire station?? If the wind is picking up , its dangerous as he may fall. Down in Miami I've seen them couple of times getting pets down from trees.

Didn't work quite the way I planned, but it worked. It was too unwieldy to get it up far enough. I turned it on it's edge to gain some control and got it closer. When he saw me trying to get it to him, he came down about 10' to it, but couldn't walk it on it's side and I didn't want him to because of screws sticking out on one side. So I slid it down with him riding it until we got to a single branch that I could catch it on and that held him. Then I was able to turn it back flat, and he "walked the plank" to me!

So cuddly and purring. Now he's got bits of birch bark in his tail. I've picked some of it out, but he'll need some brushing. I left him resting from his ordeal and bathing.

Pix to come later...

Phew!!!!

happy ending!

I had to try to get my cat to walk the plank once when he somehow got up on a second story window ledge. I never figured out how he got up there, there was no logical path.

He wasn't scared though so he seemed a bit bothered by my efforts as if i was the overprotective mom embarrassing him in front of his friends.

Glad your baby is safe and sound!

What a great Mom you are!!!

yay Oaksley!!!!

Yay magical thyme!

i love the Orange boys. My favorite kitties!!!

Glad you're safe and sound!

Did he hug you and kiss you and thank you? Of course not. Fake grooming to pretend it never happened.

he is incredibly loving....

I carried him into the hay storage and we sat and snuggled. I started picking bark and leaf bits out of his tail. Then he started grooming.

I took a break and had a snack, walked the dogs, rested and had another snack, then headed down to clean up the mess.

I couldn't find him anywhere. Dragged the planks in, separated them, carried them, the power drill, the ladder and cord up to the garage. Calling for him intermittantly...nothing.

Then went back to get hay for the horse's dinner, and on a hunch, climbed to the top of the pile. There behind the front bale, he was sound asleep in his little hideout.

Poor little guy was clinging to that swaying tree from 7:30 am until around 2:30 pm. He was tuckered out and slept right through even the power drill...