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Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:	Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:	FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:	MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO

Created:	Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:	Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	5089
Total number of notes:	60366

3636.0. "ADVICE FOR A TREE CLIMBER???" by TIGEMS::JENNEY () Thu May 24 1990 20:13

    Now that the warm (er) weather is here, and the leaves are on the
    trees, we are faced with the problem of: THE CAT IS STUCK IN THE TREE!
    
    A little background... Mags is a mutant American Blue. Her mutation is
    in the form of seven toes (with nine claws) on each paw and each paw a
    different shape.  So with all the claws in the paws, she has no
    climbing claws. (The front claws, way back on the paw) These act as
    brakes when moving in a vertical direction. Hence, Mags has great
    traction on the way up, but is petrified on the way down!.
    
    Now, Fiona, a calico tabby, offers to show Mags, time and time again
    how to get down. She climbs the tree next to where Mags is stuck, gets
    as close to the limb as she can, gives her a look that says,"Watch, its
    easy" and scampers down, looking up from the bottom for Mags to follow.
    
    Usually we have to climb up to get her, as she starts howling, that
    horrible "I'M DYING" noise, all over the neighborhood. 
    
    Is there something I can do to discourge her from climbing? She doesn't
    do it everday, so once stuck, she remembers for about a week, and the
    ole pea brain forgets again. I have tried leaving her there, but the
    howling would be unnerving (and her boy couldn't stand it!) 
    Sorry to run on but this is the second time
    this spring and I'd like to nip it in the bud if possible.  
    
    Thanks!
    get down?

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
3636.1	Weights....like a dozen bricks...	MCIS5::MCDONOUGH		`Thu May 24 1990 21:18`	20
	Hmmm...tie a concrete block around her tail????(just kiddin'...just kiddin'....JUST KIDDIN'!!) Actually, there probably ISN'T much you can do...but the Fire Department in a midwest town...Cincinatti I think...has a standard answer now for anyone who calls to "get my kitty out of the tree"... They refuse, and as a reason they ask the owner. "Have you ever seen the skeleton of any cats hanging in a tree? No?? Guess that proves that when they get hungry enough they'll come down on their own" That doens't do a lot of good with the howling though... I used to walk my Siamese on a leash like any dog...and his little trick was to climb trees while on lead...it never became a problem cause I knew what he was up to and would get close enough to prevent any slips, but the little dickens was as cute as anything with his antics.. JM
3636.2	???	PFSVAX::PETH	Critter kids	`Fri May 25 1990 14:17`	3
	Would clipping the claws to provide less traction going up help to remind the kitty about getting down again?
3636.3	Trying hosing...	IOSG::THOMPSONR	Nostalgia isn't what it used to be	`Thu May 31 1990 09:10`	13
	When Henrietta was staying at her granny's one weekend she got stuck up a ROOF of a neighbours house at about 11 o'clock at night! The fire brigade did come (although not altogether enthusiastically), and much to my mother's surprise, their solution was simply to blast her with water from one of their powerful hoses!! Poor Henri found her way down VERY QUICKLY, and she hasn't done it again since. So maybe if you spray her with water she'll come down quickly and associate it with tree-climbing. They do say that cats associate water not with you, but as a natural consequence of whatever they were doing at the time..... [Ruth, Sophie and Henri]
3636.4	Local Firemen to the Rescue!	FSTTOO::HULL	Don't Ruin My Bad Reputation!	`Fri Jun 01 1990 19:02`	25
	After reading these notes, I have to share a story with you all that happened this past weekend. I was visiting at my parents house and a fire truck went down the street. As we looked around the corner we could see the fireman spraying water up into a tree, so we went to see what was happening. Sure enough there was a young kitty way, way up a spindly old pine tree and the fireman was squirting water at the poor little thing. But... to no avail, the kitty wouldn't budge. The next thing we see is the ladder truck pulling up. And sure enough they put the ladder up to the tree and another fireman climbed up and brought the little kitty down. Apparently the cat was right near a blue jays nest and the birds were really attacking this poor pitiful thing so the family called the fire department and they actually came out!!! I was amazed -- I didn't think they did that sort of thing anymore.. (especially since the cat was only in the tree for about 2 hours) Anyway we all cheered and clapped when kitty was handed over the young girl that owned him!!!!! Sure was a cute incident! Judie
3636.5	Its the Neighborhood Bully!	TIGEMS::JENNEY		`Mon Jun 04 1990 16:52`	13
	We have figured out why Mags gets in the trees in the first place. There is a neighborhood bully cat (the only male around) who chases everyone and poor Mags is the only one who can't get back down! I was out in the yard Saturday with the girls and the neighbors cat, Coco-Moco came charging in with the Bully close behind. She ran behind me and he was burning rubber to stop when he saw me. (We've had run-ins before) So he sits on the other side of the fence and tries to be intimidating while all us "girls" lounged safely in the yard. I don't believe he is a stray, he looks quite healthy, but don't know where he lives. Any suggestions for dealing with this guy???
3636.6		IOSG::THOMPSONR	Nostalgia isn't what it used to be	`Tue Jun 05 1990 09:38`	3
	Try spraying water at HIM! That'll soon show him who's boss... [Ruth - the fastest water pistol in the west]