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Yes, cats climb trees. But when they get stuck, these guys are here to help out.

Tom Otto rescues a cat named Picasso from a tree.
Courtesy of Otto's GoPro footage
Tom Otto rescues a cat named Picasso from a tree.

 

Cats can do a lot of things that dogs can’t do. They usually are able to sleep on any household furniture they want. They are way more independent and they can climb trees! But, sometimes they can get stuck. Like, seriously stuck. Not just for hours, but for days and days.
 

Enter Tom Otto and his brother-in-law, Shawn Sears. These two animal lovers operate Canopy Cat Rescue. They drive all over the Puget Sound region plucking cats from trees and bringing them back to the safety of solid ground. They carry out this service for free.

 

“There are lots of cat haters out there and naysayers asking why we do this," Otto said. "My first response is to read them the riot act. Yes, sometimes cats come down on their own, but not always. At some point it’s about how long do you let them stay up there? It’s about the animal’s welfare."

 

In this story, we’ll take you out on a rescue for a cat named Picasso. We’ll learn why cats sometimes get stuck in trees, and we’ll hear about one extreme case that just might have you seeing your feline friends in a whole new light. 

 
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Jennifer Wing leads the KNKX News department. She is an award winning journalist whose work has aired on various outlets including NPR, the BBC, Marketplace and the Third Coast Podcast. Reach her at jwing@knkx.org.
Gabriel Spitzer is a fill-in reporter, producer and host who previously covered science and health and worked on the KNKX show Sound Effect.