Firefighters free cat trapped in tree
Firefighters from Nelson came to the rescue of a young cat which had become trapped in a tree in Lord Street, Brierfield, yesterday afternoon.
The crew was alerted by the RSPCA, who had been alerted to the situation by the cat’s distressed owner, shortly after 2pm.
Due to the height of the tree, estimated to be 40 feet, and the fact that the animal had remained there for almost 24 hours, the RSPCA inspector requested the attendance of the fire service to assist in the rescue of the animal.
On arrival, the crew (which happened to be a specialist animal rescue unit) used a triple extension ladder to reach the cat.
The 11-month-old cat was brought down from the tree and handed over to the inspector to asses the welfare of the animal before handing it back to the owner.
A Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “It is in the nature of cats to climb trees and structures and in most cases will do so without event.
“On occasions they may appear to be stuck and unable to climb back down to the ground.
“If some water and a bowl of their food is placed at the base of the tree or structure, they will usually manage to get themselves back down to the ground.”