Cat stuck in tree in Virginia sparks social media outrage

By early Wednesday afternoon, with the feline still in the tree, the online frenzy became too much, prompting animal control response and a fire crew to bring a ladder truck to help free the cat.

The cat drama started Monday evening at a home on Folin Court in the Spotsylvania neighborhood, according to a neighbor of the homeowners where the feline was stranded.

The neighbor, Rick Anderson, said the homeowners’ dog chased the cat, which ran up the tree to escape. He said one of the homeowners used a water hose in an attempt to spray the cat so it would jump from the tree. But the cat climbed higher, eventually reaching near the top of the tree, which is about 30 feet tall.

Anderson’s daughter, Kelly, posted a photo and details online about the situation on FXBG Talk, a Facebook group. The post generated a lot of attention and comments, which continued to grow as two days passed with the cat still in the tree.

Cindy Bishop, whose daughter is friends with Kelly Anderson, contacted the Free Lance-Star about the situation, saying people offered to pay for a tree service to help free the cat, but the homeowners refused to allow the company on their property.

“Over 48 hours have passed, and the cat remains stranded,” Bishop wrote in an email to the FLS. “Concerned neighbors and participants on (FXBG Talk) have reached out to animal control, only to be told that nothing could be done. This lack of action raises questions about the understanding of animal cruelty laws.”

FXBG Talk eventually pulled the original post about the situation because of threats and personal information being released about the homeowners.

Shortly before 1 p.m. Wednesday, several animal control officers showed up at the scene, soon followed by a fire department ladder truck.

The fire crew stretched the ladder to the tree and a crew member worked his way to the cat. After some maneuvering he reached the cat, which had earlier moved to a branch at about the tree’s midway point. As the fireman grabbed the cat, the feline darted down the tree, adeptly ricocheting off the trunk and landing in the yard, near a chicken coop.

The cat then scurried off and vanished.

One of the deputies on the scene said cats are free-roaming animals so the department isn’t required to respond to such situations. He said they came to the scene because “there was harassment going on.”

Bishop had a different take on the social media response.

"One thing I do know … pressure worked!" Bishop said in an email. "To me, I see right and wrong is black and white … no gray. It's amazing how this all unfolded since yesterday."