Update: Cat stuck in a tree for 5 days jumps 40 feet to freedom
A stray cat that had been stuck in a tree for the last five days apparently had enough of all the attention from people trying to rescue it, and decided to make a break for it Tuesday afternoon.
The cat was high up on a pine tree branch outside a home in Chippewa Falls, Wis., and the homeowners ran out of ideas to try to coax the animal down, according to WQOW.
The local fire department couldn't get a ladder truck into the wooded area, and the local animal control also was stumped for a solution.
An appeal on Facebook attracted several offers for help, including one from a tree-removal service which happened to have a job in the city anyway.
As the service truck approached the tree Tuesday afternoon, the cat jumped about 40 feet to the ground and ran off into the woods.
John Stuve, owner of Tree Savvy, told WQOW the cat appeared to be unharmed after the steep jump.
"He hit the ground running and kept on going," Stuve said, adding that it was the first time he's ever rescued a cat.