Tortoiseshell kitty Winnie had been missing from her home in Hythe, Kent for three days when she was spotted by the Bottle family in a tree 70ft up in the air during a period of thunderstorms
A cat who spent three days stuck up a 70ft tree during thunderstorms has been rescued.
Phil and Jodie Bottle were worried when Winnie – a tortoiseshell kitty – suddenly vanished on Saturday, October 5. Along with their teen daughter Isla, they eventually spotted her three days later hiding in a tree near their home. But she was too terrified to climb down due to thunderstorms.
The family tried to coax one-year-old Winnie down, but she refused to budge, so they called on help from Facebook and tree surgeon Patrick Hopkins came to their rescue. He clambered up 20ft and managed to persuade the marooned feline to come down to him after an hour.
“The man deserves a medal. It’s this sort of thing that restores your faith in humanity,” Phil from Hythe, Kent, said. Jodie had put out an appeal for help on Facebook, which Patrick saw it and drove 20 miles from Dover to carry out the rescue.
“He read my wife’s appeal for help and immediately drove from Alkham Valley to save the day,” Phil added. “His ladder only went up a few feet and was on a steep muddy slope. He pulled himself up the rest of the way on ropes. Just goes to prove that not all heroes wear capes.
“Being a one-year-old, Winnie was too scared to be coaxed down. I know Pat is a professional, but he happily put himself at risk to save our cat. I was inspired by his bravery and skill. But what is more, when I asked him if I could pay for his help. He flatly refused. He was only interested in helping. Kindness can go a long way. It is something I and my family will never forget.”
Patrick said: ”I was just happy to help rescue Winnie. She was right at the top of the tree, but with a little bit of gentle persuasion she came to me and I got her down. It took about an hour, but it was worth it. She’s very cute and must have been terrified stuck up there for all that time.”
