After Five Days In Tree, Staten Island Kitten Rescued

Photographs from the Staten Island Advance

On Thursday, the Staten Island Advance reported that a 7-month-old tabby cat had been in the tree for four days. Luckily, on day five of her arboreal getaway, Dottie the kitten was rescued, thanks to some patience and the efforts of some nice folks.

Stacey Pizzuro told the Advance about her kitten's refusal to come down (Dottie had gotten loose and was chased up the tree by a dog)—and how "attempts to get the Fire Department or Animal Care and Control of New York City to come to the kitten's aid were unsuccessful." Pizzuro's neighbor, Marilyn Crespo, said, "All the city agencies we pay taxes for didn't want to help. Animal Control said put food out, she'll come down. It's been four days." So the Advance contacted Con Edison, which sent a crew to try to coax the feline down (one worker climbed a ladder with a can of tuna while others tried to prod her out of the tree using extension sticks while they held a blanket to catch her)—still, no luck.

Yesterday morning, a savior arrived: A tree service owner showed up at the Pizzuros's home on Oak Street, "used a harness system to scale the backyard tree that the kitten climbed up five days ago -- some 50 feet -- and returned the pet to safety." The man only gave his name as Jose and left quickly, telling the Pizzuros, "I have enough business already, I don't need any more." Awww. The Pizzuros say Dottie ate heartily and seems to be fine, if a little thin.