Jasper in the Tree

Our little kitten, called “Small” by Silas, and has been ordained “Medium” by Miranda, because, well, he’s growing up. No longer the baby we used to bottle feed and he is getting into everything. His new fascination is the outdoors. Cats outdoors is not new to us, but that is because they had their mama and brother kittens to play with. This time, it was different. Jasper, kinda alone in investigating outdoors ran completely nut-so, out of control high up a tree.  I have seen cats climb trees, I have never seen one, even a grown one, climb as high as Jasper did yesterday.

We called every agency having to do with animals that we could find with no help available. If the tree had been in the front yard, our local volunteer fire department would have taken the truck ladder to help, but it was unreachable to the back yard.

Of course I thought he would eventually come down on his own, and I knew the weather was calling for a pouring rain, and that should bring the kitty down. We soon learned the same stubborn Jasper that can’t seem to learn to stay off the couch, was going to be the same stubborn kitten and not come down the tree.

The rains came, it oddly thundered (not typical in October), it poured.

One never to call Miquel at work, I called him anyway. Laura was a mess, and I felt I had no where to turn. Miquel couldn’t get away, but he was trying and at my plea looked to any friends that could help.

Whispering a prayer, we decided to walk away and see if the kitten would get the message and come down. My bedroom window open, rains and all, I could hear him crying and crying. I thought with the window open I would know the second he tried to get down. At one point he did, and ended up hanging upside down hanging around a  branch and crying even louder.

At this point Miquel said his friends Forrest and Amy were coming over.

By this time I took a photo with the zoom lens at our soaking wet Jasper…

Forrest looked all around and proclaimed what I think we already knew, “this tree is unclimbable.”

We stood in the rain, we called, we coaxed, we put food at the bottom, and that Jasper was resolute to stay in the tree.

Until….Amy, rather deciding not to take no for an answer, called sweetly to Jasper…and he seemed to listen. She kept talking to him and Jasper moved. It was like he was under a spell. I ran to take a blanket to stretch out in case he fell, as I could see him slipping on the wet bark, but Forrest kept me back, thinking we might startle Jasper and send him running back up.

After much sweet talk, Amy handed me Jasper and I was ready with a towel. I immediately handed him over to the crying and trembling Laura.

Jasper? As soon as he was a little dry, ran to play.