Cherry picker rescues cat stuck up tree for 3 days

A TERRIFIED cat has been safely returned to his relieved owners - after spending three days stuck 60ft up a tree in a public park in Perthshire.

The four year-old moggie called Maddox was eventually rescued when a cherry picker was brought in to reach the stranded cat after rescue attempts by the Scottish SPCA and firefighters from Tayside had failed.

The protracted rescue began on Tuesday at the Ardblair Park in Blairgowrie after Maddox’s owners contacted the Scottish SPCA for their help in recovering their adventurous pet, trapped in the high branches of a silver birch tree.

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Beverley O’Lone, an animal rescue officer with the animal welfare charity, first enlisted the help of of firefighters from the local fire and rescue service who attempted to recover the cat using a ladder.

An SSPCA spokeswoman explained: “The branches of the silver birch tree were too thin to safely position a ladder so further attempts were made to encourage Maddox out of the tree while officers held out a tarpaulin to catch him below.

“When this failed, Animal Rescue Officer O’Lone contacted Tayside Contracts who provided the use of a cherry picker which happened to be in the Blairgowrie area at the time.”

Ms O’Lone said: “Maddox’s owner went up in the cherry picker and was able to reach his cat and bring him down without too much trouble. He was probably very relieved to have been rescued and no doubt hungry

and thirsty after spending such a long time up there.”

She added: “We are often called out to rescue cats from trees but in most instances we find that the cats make their own way down when hunger and thirst gets the better of them.

“However, in this case it seemed that Maddox was just too scared to budge and it was at the point where his welfare was becoming a concern. We’re very glad we were able to help reunite Maddox with his owners

thanks to the efforts of the local fire and rescue service and assistance from Tayside Contracts.”

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