Tree felled as frantic feline freed

DEREK FLYNN/ The Marlborough Express

HOLD TIGHT: This cat clings to a tree while it is lowered by the Blenheim Volunteer Fire Brigade. Members of the public spied it wedged between branches about 10 metres up.

BLAIR ENSOR/ The Marlborough Express

TIMBER: Members of the Blenheim Volunteer Fire Brigade lower a tree with a cat stuck in its branches near the Burleigh Bridge.

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In what can only be described as a cliche, Blenheim volunteer firefighters came to the rescue of a cat stuck up a tree.

But unlike the often-told story, no firefighter dressed in full firefighter attire climbed the tree. Instead, they simply chopped it down, feline and all.

Sophie Bashford, eight, and her mother, Liz, raised the alarm after they saw what looked like a "black and white possum" about 10 metres up a tree near the Taylor River yesterday morning. It turned out to be the cat.

Mrs Bashford said she was a "passionate animal lover", with two cats of her own, BJ and Smudge, and she felt compelled to help the animal.

"We'd be devastated if either of them disappeared. They are really members of the family."

After failing to rouse anyone at the SPCA and Animal Rescue, Mrs Bashford reluctantly called the fire brigade.

Five firefighters took to the dead tree with a saw, but before they could lay hands on the clambering cat, it leaped from the branches and raced away through long grass into the safety of nearby gardens.

"I wanted to give it a cuddle, but he was off. He didn't look too bad at all," Mrs Bashford said.

"The fire guys did a wonderful job."

She said Sophie would bake a fruit cake for the firefighters involved.

Acting station officer Darrell Bate said callouts to help out cats in distress were rare, and to have one "actually stuck ... a fair percentage of them don't go like that".

"It was well wedged."

Mr Bate said rescuing cats was "definitely not something we want requests for all the time, but if a circumstance looks like it can be dealt with like that one, then it's not problem."

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Crazy cat eyes   #14   10:33 am Nov 11 2009

Dumbass's, read it properly, that cats paw was stuck and it couldnt get down. And everyone knows cat skeletons that get stuck in trees are eaten by Sqirrel's.

Jarrod   #13   05:54 am Nov 11 2009

Haha Jase #6

rockthecroc   #12   08:36 pm Nov 10 2009

"You don't see cat skeletons in trees"...the moronic comments people make never cease to amaze me.

Rachel   #11   08:24 pm Nov 10 2009

They should have just had a marmite sandwich on hand...

Flanders   #10   08:10 pm Nov 10 2009

You have to wonder why a cat lover would name her cat 'BJ"!!!

Andrew   #9   06:32 pm Nov 10 2009

The cat was more than likely up the tree stalking a tui or other native bird. Well done for saving a pest whose impact on native wild life is on par with the stoat and the possum.

fiordlander   #8   03:50 pm Nov 10 2009

they could called the cops had it done police academy style lol

KH   #7   03:43 pm Nov 10 2009

Shame you didn't catch it. I know The Marlborough Express need a new mascot!!! It could have been called Roger2.0.

jase   #6   03:31 pm Nov 10 2009

Ha ha ha ha.... someone's house is burning down lady but we saved the cat!!!!.....C'MON, I mean how many cat skeletons do you see up in trees????? they're actually natural climbers ha ha ha ha ha

Wyn   #5   02:59 pm Nov 10 2009

Don't you meant bring it down?

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