Fat Black Cat on a Utility Pole

Today two utility crews, a pair of bucket trucks, and plenty of other safety equipment all contributed to the rescue of Kitty, a fat black cat who had been stuck at the top of a pole near near some 26,000 volt power lines. Yikes!



Kitty climbed the pole on Friday night and finally set foot back on solid ground today, 4 days later. Kitty's human, 13-year-old Gabe, said he would sleep with his window open and could hear Kitty crying all night long. Awww! The neighbors could hear him clearly, too, and said he got louder each night.

Gabe and his family tried every city agency, and while all were sympathetic, none offered to help. Even the utility company initially refused, telling the family that Kitty would come down when he was ready, or hungry, or both. Gabe left tuna at the base of the pole every night, called him constantly, and Kitty still remained stranded.

Finally, after the family contacted the media and let them know they had some trained climbers ready to take action, an NBC affiliate in Seattle contacted City Light, who came out to do the job themselves.

Scott Thomsen, spokesman for Seattle City Light, pointed out that the utility company does not routinely rescue cats (no kidding!), but given the nature of his predicament, figured they were best-suited to do the job. They were particularly concerned that a resident (or their friends) might try to rescue him on their own. Heh. "We're pleased that the cat was able to get back to his owner," he said.

They covered the power lines with protective sleeves, poked and pushed kitty into the loop on the end of a catch pole, and lowered him to people on the ground.



Kitty is finally home.