Dramatic Cat Rescue Two

When Brunswick, my black furry male cat, was just a young Tom, he liked to spend his nights outside prowling around the world. He was fixed, so he couldn’t be chasing tale, but he still seemed to like the smell of the night’s air. Although he was alway amorous by nature, he made friends with the other cats around the neighbourhood and his favourite best friend lived up the block from me. I know you make think it’s crazy, and I did at the time too, but there was litterally two gangs of cats and there were cat wars around my street. Brunnie’s best friend was an unneutered male, who I can only assume was his protection. One time, I woke up from a nap to find Brunswick giving his best friend a tour of his home and his food bowl. They had crawled through the open window.

Anyway….

It was like clockwork, really, Brunswick’s inclination to go outside and come back in. At around 8:30 pm he would demand to be let out by wining at the front door. Then at 5:30 in the morning, he would appear at my side window (near my bed) and scratch his claws down the screen, if the window was open, and if not, he’d paw at the closed window like a madman.

So one morning, I woke up at a now trained time of 5:30 am. I rolled out of bed, put on my coffee, brushed my teeth and realized that Brunnie hadn’t come to the window. I thought it was odd, but figured he’d be home soon. So, I went outside, grabbing a cigarette on the way out (yes back when I used to smoke). I sat on the muskoka chair and lit up. Just as I took my second puff I heard a cat wailing. I started looking around, I knew the cry, it was obviously Brunswick but I couldn’t see him anywhere. I followed the sound of his cries around the side of the house. I still couldn’t see him. Then I looked up. There he was on the roof of the neighbours home, obviously terrified.

“Save me. Save me,” he screamed in his own particular wail (honest, I speak cat language).

I didn’t know what to do. It was about 5:45 am, and the neighbours, I was positive, we’re sleeping. I tried to shush him to no avail. I knew that I didn’t have a ladder, so I was going to have to convince Brunswick that he had to get down from the roof by himself.

I walked on to my neighbours porch and motioned for Brunswick to come to the middle of the roof and jump to the tree branch which was about three or four feet away from the roof’s edge. I figured this was how he got up. At first he cried at me then he started to try to make his way over to me, across the middle of the slope. Then he stopped, did an about face and went up the left side of the roof to the back. I couldn’t see him anymore, and I hoped he was getting down the way he came up. I started to quietly retreat off the porch steps. I noticed a couple of cats in the distance, part of the gang that Brunswick belonged to. But then I heard crying again, and Brunswick appeared on the opposite side of the roof. He steathly moved across at the top of the slope and then made his way down the middle. He stopped on the ledge. I made hand gestures for him to jump to the branch. He went around in circles, wondering why I wouldn’t get him from the roof (I can only assume, although I speak cat language, I definitely do not read their minds!). He steadied himself, hunching his hind legs, getting ready to jump, and then he’d loose heart and cry at me again. I spoke in sign language to him, “JUMP” I said. I showed him the route in the air (the roof and branch were several feet above me). Finally, after about 10 minutes of this, Brunnie got into position and jumped. He landed between the branch and the trunk. He was still too high up for me to grab him, so I spent another few minutes coaxing him to climb down the tree. Finally, he started down the tree backwards. Then he slipped, panicking he tried to get back up the tree but couldn’t. He kept slipping until finally I was able to reach him and pull him off the tree. I swung him over my right shoulder, and turned around. There, blocking my way from the steps, was a semi circle of neighbourhood cats that had all come over to watch the show. Brunnie purred into my ear. He was safe. He never went up the roof again (at least not that I knew of).