It is common for animal lovers to show compassion toward animals even though they are not their pets. This was the case for resident Jill Burrow (55) when her neighbour alerted her that there was a black cat stuck in a neighbour’s tree.
“I was alarmed when my neighbour informed me about the cat. I was worried that it could be one of my cats.Thank goodness it wasn’t,” she said.
The cat was stuck in the tall tree for three days before an attempt was made to rescue it. It is believed the cat was trying to run away from a dog in the same yard before it climbed up the tree.
Burrow decided to call the SPCA Randburg in Randburg who advised her to call the NSPCA for further help. She spoke to regional manager Meg Willison, who organised someone from the Roodepoort SPCA to come and assist.
Senior inspector at Roodepoort SPCA Eric Paljaad was contacted about the cat. “We received a distressed phone call from a concerned resident about a cat stuck in a tree,” he said.
The fire department arrived with a fire engine and extended a long ladder toward the cat. As a firefighter climbed the ladder, the cat became frightened and leaped out the tree and ran away to a nearby house.
“It’s unfortunate that the cat eventually ran away after all that drama. I just hope it’s alright wherever it is,” Burrow joked.
