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AIBU

My neighbour wants to climb my tree

(119 Posts)
ninjagran Thu 09-Aug-18 17:30:32

We noticed a miaowing at the bottom of our garden this morning. It appears a cat has got itself stuck. The tree is covered in ivy and very tall so we can't actually see the cat itself though we can definitely hear it. I've called the RSPCA and their advice is to leave it - it will come down on its own. My neighbours however are insistent on rescuing the poor thing and keep knocking on my door. They want to bring ladders through my house and into the garden and try get at it. I'm not particularly happy about this and have put them off so far. Not just because of the ladders, but I also don't know these neighbours very well (they're at the back to the side if you know what I mean) so I know one of them by sight but that's about it. I'm not being unreasonable am I?

Nanabilly Thu 09-Aug-18 17:48:02

Do you have to let them through the house. Can they put the ladders over the fence and climb over.
I can understand you not wanting them to go through your house you have to b so careful and if you only know them by eight then doubly so.
The cat WILL probably come down on its own.

Willow500 Thu 09-Aug-18 18:05:33

Is it the neighbours cat? I can understand them wanting to rescue it - if it's miaowing it may be young and not able to find it's way down. I don't see why they want to come through your house though - is there no other way to get to the tree?

Jalima1108 Thu 09-Aug-18 18:17:12

I wouldn't mind them doing it - providing they didn't have to bring ladders through the house and providing they didn't fall off the ladder or a branch breaks and they blame you.

I'm sure it will come down on its own when it gets hungry.

winterwhite Thu 09-Aug-18 18:40:03

I thought the fire service traditionally came to the rescue grin in cases like this. They often charge these days though. Surprising if tree covered in ivy and cat really can’t get down, may have been chased by something and is frightened, in wh case more likely to make its way down when it’s dark.

Greyduster Thu 09-Aug-18 18:51:53

The cat will find it’s own way down. Ours got itself lodged up a tree outside our house. DH insisted on getting up the tree, first with the aid of a folding ladder and then struggling the rest of the way into the tree “freestyle”. Just as he got up there, she started to come down under her own steam. My heart was in my mouth as her ‘rescuer’ made his way down!

MiniMoon Thu 09-Aug-18 19:09:00

We had a cat that managed to climb a telephone pole. He could not get down. We had to borrow the ladders from a local window cleaner, and my Dad went up to rescue it.
I would allow the neighbours access to the garden, provided they could do so without having to bring the ladders through the house.

merlotgran Thu 09-Aug-18 19:25:12

Phone the fire brigade. I think they are often willing to do the odd cat rescue as a training exercise.

Don't let anyone else climb your tree - health and safety issue.

OldMeg Thu 09-Aug-18 19:39:01

What kind of people won’t let someone into their garden to rescue a cat?

PECS Thu 09-Aug-18 19:58:13

I think the FB are no longer able to offer thst service. Austerity measures!
My DD2s young cat climbed up a tall for tree and needed miserably. DDs partner and my DD1s husband, a firefighter, clambered up. By the time they got near, it leapt to the next tree and came down. It did it again a few times!

PECS Thu 09-Aug-18 19:59:17

sorry for auto correct.. fir tree mewed not needed!

annodomini Thu 09-Aug-18 20:17:57

I have seen a cat come down from the top of a telephone pole - paw over paw, very precisely. Just a few weeks ago, my son's partner talked one of her cats down from the top of and enormous ivy-covered conifer. She (the cat) also came down paw over paw. They can do it if they really want to.

Jalima1108 Thu 09-Aug-18 21:41:47

hmm people who have a newly decorated hall and think cats will climb down anyway OldMeg?

it's just a cat

#doglover

Jalima1108 Thu 09-Aug-18 21:43:09

I await the wrath of cat lovers everywhere

ninjagran Thu 09-Aug-18 21:57:15

No, it's not their cat apparently. No one seems to know whose it is. It's still up their miaowing although I see torchlights and activity in the other neighbours garden off to the side of it so maybe they've found another way to access the tree. Though they'll need a very long ladder from there. I'm not a fan of cats myself and the noise is setting my teeth on edge but I obviously don't want it to come to any harm either. I'm sureI read somewhere that they will come down when they get hungry. Let's hope it's soon as I'm not going to be able to sleep with that racket!

muffinthemoo Thu 09-Aug-18 22:17:04

Jalima grin wine

Jalima1108 Thu 09-Aug-18 22:22:54

I have a family of cat lovers grin (but not DH thank goodness).

merlotgran Thu 09-Aug-18 22:28:25

I'm not surprised the poor thing won't come down with torchlights and a racket going on nearby.

Jalima1108 Thu 09-Aug-18 22:30:25

It will probably retreat further up the tree.

OldMeg Thu 09-Aug-18 22:33:24

Poor pussy! I’m glad at least someone’s helping it down.

Not a particular cat lover either but can’t bear the thought of it stuck up there all night.

incidentally the RSPCA are wrong to,tell you that

Cats are not squirrels. They are good climbers going up, but not good coming down. Cats must climb down a tree backwards due to physics and their physiology. Some cats eventually figure out this concept and are able to work their way down from a tree

OldMeg Thu 09-Aug-18 22:34:01

That was from a Cat Rescue website.

paddyann Thu 09-Aug-18 22:37:04

Poor thing ,seems folk here have the same attitude towards cats as the "driver" who hit mine and left him to die at the side of the road.Some people are all heart! After all its JUST a cat...part of somebody's family .Just like a dog in fact .

merlotgran Thu 09-Aug-18 22:37:48

Cats are not squirrels. They are good climbers going up, but not good coming down. Cats must climb down a tree backwards due to physics and their physiology. Some cats eventually figure out this concept and are able to work their way down from a tree

Eh? Our cat comes down forwards until she's near enough to the ground to jump the rest of the distance. I've never seen her come down backwards.

Jalima1108 Thu 09-Aug-18 22:42:33

I wouldn't have one, but could never hurt one.
And the best cat I knew got knocked down (and left) on the road sad

Beau Thu 09-Aug-18 22:53:01

My cat does come down trees backwards and seems to follow the exact same path he went up - he occasionally runs up trees too enthusiastically then panics and starts miaowing. I would let the people take the ladders through my house but then I can't bear to hear cats upset like that. On the other hand, I think they are very unlikely to be able to grab it but hopefully it might come part way down the ladder - mine did that the one time SIL decided the cat was stuck.