REGINA -- What do you do when you find a cat stuck in a tree? The first thought may be to call the fire department. However, Regina Fire – and SaskPower – say they’re not the ones to call when you find a feline in distress.
The reminder to residents comes after a SaskPower crew member helped get a cat out of a tree in Regina’s Normanview neighbourhood Wednesday
.A woman who lives nearby said the cat was in the tree for at least 31 hours, after she saw it in the tree on Tuesday morning. She said around 10 people used a ladder to try and coax it down and 20 to 30 came to help.
SaskPower said it typically does not send crews to address animals that are on its equipment.
“Our power line technicians, they don’t have the training or the equipment to rescue animals from trees. Their expertise is more with electrical equipment,” said Scott McGregor, a SaskPower spokesperson.
Regina Fire & Protective Services said it, too, is not the place to call if an animal is stuck in a tree, but crews can be made available to help the humane society if needed.
“Our first priority is for life safety in the City of Regina. We certainly wouldn’t want to have a piece of apparatus committed to something like that, and then have a real emergency come in, so we’re certainly not the first ones to call,” Regina Fire & Protective Services Deputy Chief Neil Sundeen said.
The Regina Humane Society said it does not have the equipment to climb or reach into trees and Fire Services and SaskPower usually are not able to attend unless there is a threat to public safety or the cat is in physical distress. The human society recommends giving the cat some time and space as it will almost always make its way down its own. It said soft material can be placed at the bottom of the tree to cushion the fall, and food can be used to try and entice the animal.
It said these situations are just another good reminder for pet owners to ensure their cats are kept indoors. If the cat is outside, it should always be on a harness, in a secure enclosure and not left unattended.
