A cat was left "40ft" up in a tree all day as RSPCA confirm they can only intervene after 24 hours.
The owner of Solomon, a cat that was left in a tree all day in the Moreton area of Wirral, was shocked by a rule that means her cat was forced to sit there all day and, the last time the ECHO checked, is still there. The small black cat was found stuck in the tree on Thursday morning with the RSPCA confirming that they can only contact the fire service to rescue the cat after 24 hours.
This rule is due to the majority of cats managing to make their own way down, but as Solomon's owner points out, the cat has had to sit through a hot summers day with no food or water. The owner also managed to get a cherry picker to try and rescue him but he was too high up for the machine to reach.
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The cat's owner, who has asked not to be named, said: "We’ve phoned the fire crew twice but they can’t help unless the RSPCA have directly asked them. But they have said we have to wait 24 hours until they can do anything.
"Saying he will make his way down but he’s around about 40 feet up with no easy branches to get down on. We’ve had a private cherrypicker come out to help but unfortunately he was unable to as he was too high up and he couldn’t get to him directly.
"He’s still currently stuck. We know in a lot of cases, they usually make their way down, but because of how hot it is today and he’s fully black we’re just worried he’ll overheat. He’s very stressed as it is."
Once the 24 hours have passed, the RSPCA can contact Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service to rescue Solomon from the tree and return him safely to his family. An RSPCA spokesperson confirmed the rule.
They said: “When cats get stuck up trees, in a vast majority of cases, they can get themselves down and trying to rescue them can actually put them at risk as they may fall or jump trying to escape. That’s why we would normally ask owners to try and tempt their cat down with smelly treats or by warming food a little to increase its odour in the first instance and keep a close eye on them.
“If after 24 hours the cat still appears to be stuck, or if something changes in the meantime, we’d ask owners to call us and we will do what we can to help. We may ask owners to contact a tree surgeon if the cat is stuck in a position where our officers would not have the equipment to access them.
“There are always exceptions to the rule, for example, if weather conditions are particularly bad or if the cat is injured or very young. Worried owners can call the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999 and we can contact the Fire Service to ask for help if necessary.”
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