The world of cat rescue can be surprisingly dramatic. Outdoor cats have no problems finding trouble, that’s for sure! And people go to incredible lengths and climb the highest heights to save them every day. But in this case, the rescue is so dramatic it sounds like its pure fiction! Yet it really happened just the same.
Cat Meowed for Help from a Church Tower for Days
Rescuers in Philadelphia are dealing with “all-time highs” for cats and kittens needing placement. But then they received a call to help about a cat stuck in a very dramatic spot. The black and white cutie was high up at the very top of an abandoned church belfry! The bell had stopped ringing years ago, but now people on the ground could hear meowing.
What are the odds, let alone how could they get the cat down?
A concerned citizen heard the cat meowing for help from on high for 4-5 days. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find anyone to come. But she didn’t give up and contacted the folks at the Philly rescue, Kolony Kats.
“The finder contacted multiple city agencies and none would come out and help. They contacted us in hopes that we could help. We rushed over to the location, and this poor, pitiful boy was still there begging for help. We had no idea of how we were going to get him down, but we knew that we weren’t leaving until he was down and safe,” shared Kolony Kats.
Looking at the pictures you could barely see the black and white kitty so high up in the sky! Yet you could still hear him crying for help (see video below). He was perched like a Gargoyle atop the corner of a gothic archway, which appears to be the former St. Edward the Confessor Church that closed in 1993. If so, that tower is 137 feet in the air!
Who Would Climb the Church Tower?
Nobody is sure how the cat, dubbed ‘Hightower’ got to the top of the belfry, but they think he must have gone up the ladder inside while the church was under construction. Then, he couldn’t climb back down again. Fortunately, the rescuers found two workers willing to climb the tower just before they left the site.
“Thankfully, we were able to spot two workers on the other side of the building getting ready to leave, but they were both very helpful and willing to go inside and climb up to the bell tower to rescue this sweet boy! The entire mission took about a half hour, but they were able to safely get him contained and bring him down!” Kolony Kats shared.
Video via Instagram/kolonykats
Hightower’s Dramatic Rescue Has a Happy Ending!
After carrying Hightower to the ground, the rescuers took him to The Cat Doctor. Thankfully, the kitty was doing fine aside from being “hungry, dirty and having a few minor scrapes.” It looks like he may have once been rescued through TNR (trap, neuter, return) due to his ear-tip on the left ear.
Ranger at the Cat Doctor
A Microchip Reunion!
Wonderfully, they found an up-to-date microchip leading to one very relieved mom who had been missing her adventurous lost cat!
“He was scanned for a microchip, and surprisingly, he had one! His owner was contacted and she rushed over to pick him up! His name is actually Ranger and she adopted him last year. He accidentally got out and she had been searching for him since.”
After finding the highest place in the area to get stuck, the lucky cat is safe and doing fine at home. It just goes to show you never know where an outdoor cat could turn up. Thank goodness, he’s safe, thanks to a big effort from many caring people.
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