She may just wait until dark, and when she feels the coast is clear, come on down.
If she is still up there tomorrow, the only thing I could think of is to call the fire dept. or animal shelter and get their advice.

Trin

I've always heard that a treed cat will come down when it gets hungry, not to worry about them.

but last summer, the neighbor's cat climbed a tree and was up there for days, just refused to come down. I forget how long, but it seems like it must have been Mon-thurs, maybe? She finally had to call the fire dept.

Good luck.

I would back off at least until morning and see if she came down on her own. Put some food and water on the ground to tempt her.

Leave her be. She'll come down when she's ready.

He tried to hose her?? Yikes.... that probably didn't help matters. It can often take two to three days if they're actually able to make it down themselves. After that you'll have to see if a fire dept will help. At night[s] after the dogs have gone out for the last time put some tuna or some nice smelly food down and hope she comes down during the night.

Well, I checked on her a few minutes ago and she moved from the end of the limb to the trunk of the tree. I think she will come down now that it's dark so I will do as advised and leave her alone.

Thanks,

Linda

Cats that zip up a tree are also capable of coming down the tree. An inexperienced cat may take much longer to get up the nerve to back down. They sense that they are vulnerable while coming down - its against their normal direction. Their claws are designed for going up, not down.- so, the cat may not make an attempt to come down until it has convinced itself that the coast is clear, and that there are no dogs or water hoses active. Give it at least a full 24 hr before intervening. After 24 hr, you do have to be concerned about dehydration.

Many years ago I had a cat that was up a tree. After many hours I called the fire dept. but they refused to come out. They said all cats come down eventually and they have never found a cat skeleton in a tree. They were right, the cat came down when she was good and ready.

lol, linda! that's always been my motto when our cats go up a tree. They always find a way down sometime.
I hope the dogs are away this evening and she comes down then.

Coconut-I think she meant the owner tried to throw a hose over the branch of the tree,not hose the cat. At least that's what I hope she meant!LOL
Years ago a cat that we had just had neutered was chased up a telephone pole by another cat.He was sitting on the very top of the pole!
We tried everything to coax him down but he wouldn't budge.Finally we gave up and went back into the house.About an hour later he showed up at the back door wanting in.LOL
I think the cat will come down from the tree on it's own.

LOL Lillie I think you're right. I read it wrong. Smiles. I think I was still thinking about him trying to get a bucket in the tree for the cat to "ride down in". LOL.. Sorry, the whole situation is scary and not funny, but the idea that a cat would voluntarily get in a bucket. ...I'm sure he was desperate. Hopefully there will be good news by morning.

Hi, I lurk most of the time, but thought I'd share my story in the event it's helpful.

When I was a kid we had a cat go up an extremely tall pine tree. The fire department was called (in those days they'd come out for a cat up a tree) and when the fireman climbed up, the cat just climbed higher. So high that it was unsafe for the fireman.

The cat was in that tree for six days and on the seventh day she strolled in the kitchen door like nothing had ever happened. She was VERY hungry! They will come down eventually.

My cat Murphy disappeared a few years ago for 5.5 days. He had a little case of laryngitis at the time. The weather was drizzly and it was noisy in the woods due to falling leaves. I was frantic, searched, called, looked, etc. I had about given up when he came in one night, scrawny and starved. I really think he was up a tree all that time and I couldn't see or hear him. He came home after I had spent an hour calling the other cat in. I think he heard me and got tired of listening to me. lol I can't remember ever being so happy as I was when Murphy came home.

A town cat was up a tree a couple of years ago for so long that some neighbor kids raised enough money to hire a tree guy with a bucket truck to rescue it- it had been over 2 weeks and that cat couldn't get down on its own. Or wouldn't, but it was going to die unless someone did something to save it.

I believe a cat can and will die up there and I also believe the carcass would fall to the ground eventually and be scavenged by other animals and insects.

Well, none of the suggestions helped. I really though she would come down once it got dark but she was still up there this morning. Fire Dept. won't come get her down either. DH called them.

Yes, actually her owner did try the bucket trick (she was up too high) but yes it was fun to watch him try to get the rope over that way too high limb. He did squirt her with the hose. I told him she would probably go higher but he is young (college age) and was desperate. She wasn't interested in the tuna (not cat food) I put out either.

I kept talking to her telling her she could do it but she kept saying, "noooo" and "hellllp". (Didn't know I spoke "cat" did ya?)

Linda

Aww, that's discouraging. I guess , like some people, there are just some cats that won't try.
I would let her be for several days to give her a chance to figure out what branches will work for her to come down. Just my thoughts tho. She might decide she's hungry and make her own plan.

Some of your responses seem cruel. This poor cat is scared. You can't just leave it there for days without water. Cat's are able to climb up trees but due to the design of their claws they cannot get down. It's not their fault it's their design.
You need to call Animal Control and let them get the cat down. Outdoor cats are at greater risk from harm.
donna

Here is a link that might be useful: Cat's in trees

Cats will always do what is in their best interest. LOL They come down out of the trees on their own. This will happen after no one is standing around trying to coax them or the threat of dogs, kids, ladders, climbing/rescue equipment and such other scary things are gone. Once the cat realizes it is no longer the center of commotion and it is hungry it will come out of the tree. LEAVE IT ALONE!
True story a few years back.
Cat up the power pole that serves the four house down the street from me. 2 days it sat up there ignoring everyone and enjoying the view. 3rd day owner called fire department. They do not rescue cats from trees or pole. Told the owner make everyone ignore the cat it will come down. 4th day he called power company was told the cat will come down we don't rescue them. On the morning of day 5 a Sunday owner called a bucket truck company to come rescue the cat. $85.00 to come out. "Okay" said owner. Three hrs later after the call to bucket truck company, when everyone was NOT looking and coaxing and annoying the cat, it climbed down from power pole YEA!!!! 3hrs and 45 seconds after the call to bucket truck company the truck pulls up in driveway. With no cat to rescue owner says to man "Oh we don't need you now tha cat came down. Thanks anyway." DUH!? Truck man says "Fine. Just pay fee and I'll be on my way. Today is a nice day for a ride.". Awww cat owner had to pay the $85.00 fee to have truck drive 120 miles round trip on man's day off. Hmmm I think he got off cheap at $85.00 LOL some people will not listen. Leave the cat alone. It will come down on it's own.

CT

I have very odd cat's because they do know how to climb down trees. They even sit up in our trees somedays just for the heck of it. Usually they come down butt first, or jump branch to branch.
There has to a first time when learning and if this cat doesn't want to learn then then call someone with an apple picker who wouldn't mind the extra cash. Cat's can be without food and water for sometime. I don't like it either. I know I would be calling out for it but if the dogs are gone the main problem will be some discomfort and THAT just might make it think about coming down on it's own. It's not cruel, it makes sense.

Awesome link Donna. Notice the first thing it states about rescuing the cat is "Typically a cat that is stuck high up in a tree is in a frightened state, and perhaps will find its own way down after some time has passed and it no longer senses any danger from the immediate environs. As such, the best 'first step' is to wait to see if the cat climbs down on its own." Meaning leave the cat alone. If it starts to "cry for help" then put a ladder against the tree and leave the cat alone. More people do not allow the cat time to relax and come down on its own. It could take a few days Then we have the supposed rescuer getting hurt. Still the recommendation is from all agencies Leave the cat alone.
Again some people just will not listen.
CT

We had a cat that ventured into the neighbor's yard regularly. Unfortunately, our neighbor forgot to tell our cat that they were dog sitting. The dogs chased poor Ripple up one of the tall pin trees- the kind that don't even have limbs for the first 40-50 feet. Took us 3-4 day to even find him. We could hear him crying but couldn't figure out which tree it was. Finally, my dad spotted him and got out the extra long extension ladder. It was too short and my dad had to then "shimmy" up the rest of the tree (Dad was much younger then and his belly wasn't as large). Ripple saw my dad coming and just cried and cried. When my dad got near him, Ripple jumped off the branch and wrapped all four paws around my dad. Dad didn't even have to hold Ripple coming down, NOTHING was coming between that cat and my dad, LOL. Ripple smelled like a "pine care freshener" for a good week after.

I don't think he ever went back to the neighbor's backyard in all the years we lived there!