Rescue ladders deployed as RSPCA help fire service bring cat down from top of giant tree

A rescue cat is happy to be reunited with his owners after being rescued from a 45-foot high perch stuck up a tree on the Wirral.

RSPCA Inspector Naomi Morris and fire officers from Ellesmere Port and Chester came to the aid of the stricken two-and-a-half year old, called Oreo, who was discovered hanging to the tall tree on Hooton Road in Hooton for around 48 hours.

Owner Joanne Salomon tried in vain to coax down the cat, but the petrified animal, who has undergone eye surgery in the past, was unable to respond and only became more distressed, climbing higher onto an overhanging branch.

Naomi was called out but because of bad weather the rescue was put off until the next morning (Friday, February 25) when a large-scale operation swung into action.

Police closed off the road while an aerial platform was deployed by firefighters to try and reach the tiring cat, who was left clinging onto the tree.

“It was a very tall tree and attempts to try and get the cat to move off the branch which overhangs the road were unsuccessful. The fire officers cut branches away, but they were struggling to reach him with the platform,” said the RSPCA inspector.

“It was scared and rooted to the spot, so a ladder was put up and a fire officer managed to grab hold of the cat who was given a traditional fire service lift down to safety.”

Back on the ground, Oreo was reunited with her family, who had mounted a search for their pet after he failed to return home.

While largely unscathed, the cat (pictured with his owner and, below, the family’s other cat, Kiki, after his ordeal) lost a couple of claws from clinging to the branch and extreme fatigue meant he slept for a couple of days.

Joanne, who adopted Oreo from the RSPCA’s Wirral and Chester Branch, recalled: “I’d walked past the tree and could hear a faint miaowing and spotted him about 20 feet up. We tried to coax him down but he wouldn’t budge.

“A tree surgeon came out, but he climbed higher onto the branch and stayed there.

“We worry about how clear Oreo’s sight is as he has a genetic condition which has left him with abnormal eyelids and he had surgery to correct that.”

The procedure, undertaken by an eye vet, involved reshaping Oreo’s eyelids using human lip filler injections, and was featured in the veterinary media.

Joanne added: “He’s quite a timid cat and he was very distressed by the ordeal after hanging on for two days.

“But it was a fantastic effort by the RSPCA and fire officers. The officers that came out were amazing and Naomi was so compassionate. Myself and my daughter, Ella, were delighted to have him back safely.

“The fire service said it was a useful training exercise for them to get the aerial platform out in case it is needed for humans - they said they enjoyed the challenge.” 

Naomi added: “The owners put food down and tried calling him. Sometimes in these situations the cat takes a leap of faith and jumps down. But he’d gone too high up and he couldn’t move.

“We have an arrangement with the fire service that we attend these incidents first and if we can’t undertake a rescue they come and assist. In this case they went above and beyond to get the cat down.” 

The RSPCA says if owners fail to tempt cats down from trees and after 24 hours they still appear to be stuck, or if something changes, they should call and we will do what we can to help.

We receive more than a million calls for help each year so we may ask owners to contact a tree surgeon if we are unable to get someone to them or if the cat is stuck in a position where our officers would not be able to help.

There are always exceptions to the rule, for example if weather conditions are particularly bad or if the cat is injured or very young.

Worried cat owners can call the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999, and we can contact the fire services to ask for help if necessary.

To help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in desperate need of care please visit our website or call our donation line on 0300 123 8181.