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Stuck In A Tree For Nine Days!
Maine Coon Cat Survives Tall Wawarsing Trauma

WAWARSING – Bastet, the Egyptian goddess of cats, protection, joy and love, must have been looking out for this one.

Three-year-old "Trudee" — a Maine coon mix feline — weathered nine days seventy feet up a tree before being rescued by Brandon Dolan of Gray Squirrel Tree Service last Friday, October 7. Despite being exhausted and hungry, the cat seemed none the worse for wear.

John Gavaris, Director of Support Services at ERH and a cat owner himself, said he thought the animal — first spotted in the tree September 29 — would come down on her own... but after days passed and she hadn't and outside assistance didn't seem possible, he considered climbing the tree himself. Ultimately, he thought the cat would become agitated and fall from her perch if he climbed up, or she'd climb further making the rescue impossible. And so he contacted Dolan.

Gray Squirrel Tree Service, arborists out of Napanoch, weres notified of the situation by Gail Mihocko, director of Project Cat, a local non-profit animal welfare organization dedicated to assisting felines, after calls to local fire and highway departments netted no results.

Although he could have climbed the tree as well, Dolan worried the cat would "freak" and fall to her demise. So he turned to his bucket truck for the rescue. After obtaining permission from the landowner of the tree located across from the post office on Route 209 in Wawarsing, Dolan was able to clear brush and park.

"She seemed very pleased we were there," Dolan said of the thirty minute rescue operation that he described as just "another day in the office" for the Ulster County arborist who has done fifteen to twenty0 similar rescues throughout his fifteen years as Gray Squirrel.

While there is no way to tell exactly why the cat climbed up so far, some say an animal — a raccoon or dog — may have scared her up there. Despite her adventure, Mihocko said, the cat is doing well and is being treated for afflictions mostly brought on by being a stray — flea bites, mites, and thin fur. The friendly animal, she continued, will go up for adoption once she plumps up a bit.

Most upsetting for Mihocko was the sheer length of time the cat remained in the tree before help arrived.

"There is nobody to help with situations like this," she said, noting that the town has a dog control officer but no one obligated to care for cats. And while her shelter is trying to fill the gap of animal sheltering in the southern part of Ulster, she noted that it's small and can only do so much.

If anyone is interested in adopting Trudee — or any other felines at Project Cat — there is a process involved, including applications and visitation. If adoption is not a viable option, Mihocko said, the shelter would graciously accept monetary or material donations, of which there is a needs list on their Facebook page.



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