Remembering this story from February, 2012
MOLLY OR QUEEN
My sister called shortly before dark
Monday evening to share their unfolding adventure. It seems an
unfamiliar cat was trapped in a tree in their backyard. It was
frightened and crying. My brother-in-law had made several attempts to rescue the
feline at the exclusion of climbing up himself to retrieve it. He has a
heart condition and this would not have been a wise move.
Sis told me her spouse was on his way to
the fire department to see if they would or could help They could not
and would not. So much for the stories of firemen rescuing stranded
cats. All they could do was suggest placing an open can of cat food at
the base of the tree to entice the cat down.
There was a lot of unrest in their
household watching the cat and keeping an eye on their dog each time he
went out so he wouldn't eat the cat food. Plus they imagined the food
would attract all kinds of critters into their yard during the night.
The next morning the stranded cat was still huddled in the tree with
untouched cat food on the ground.
After searching google for possible
answers to the dilemma they decided on calling a tree trimmer. The man
came out and using his proper equipment for tree climbing, rescued the
cat. The tree man gently placed the saved cat on the ground. The
beautiful calico sniffed the food then turned haughtily and walked away
to what we assume was the direction of her home. My sister who had
planned on having this rescued cat in her life forever since it would
feel such a sense of gratitude, was offended as, after all their trouble
and expense, the cat just walked away. "Bitch" my sister muttered.
Thus arrived the question of what do you
call a female cat. Everyone knows a female dog is a bitch and a male
cat is a Tom. Does everyone know that a female cat is either called a
Queen or a Molly? This one was undoubtedly a Queen. She did not bother
to run away, she simply departed at her own pace very regally without
so much as a "by your leave".
Cats are so independent. Perhaps you had the wrong kind of food. They can be ever so picky about their food. It was still a happy ending.
ReplyDeleteThank you for joining the Feline Friday Blog Hop.
Have a purrfect Feline Friday and weekend. ♥
I believe it would have come down on its own eventually.
DeleteAll that angst over an ingrate. They do get stuck in trees like that and I have known fireman to rescue them. Maybe they were short handed that day.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that about Queen or Molly. I have always called Minnie a queen for she acts sometimes like all are beneath her. Then sometimes she will touch my cheek with her paw in sympathy. They are an enigma.
I have had so many cats and now down to just two. They are mother and son. Lots of stories.
DeleteThere was a cat stuck in a tree for 2 days down the road (behind the mayors house). We have a volunteer fire department and one of the guys came out with a ladder, just as he got to the cat, it clambered down all on its own and took off! Cats are weird. Have a marvellously Happy Day!
ReplyDeleteDid you wonder if the cat was coming and going from the tree at night and wasn't really stuck?
DeleteThat was a funny story! I have only heard of females being called queens, but it seems she definitely had the princess attitude.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely an attitude just not sure what kind.
DeleteIt was a lovely looking cat. No wonder your sister was disappointed as well as out of pocket.
ReplyDeleteWe have a cat who insists on climbing up the fence and jumping onto the garage roof. She then can't jump back onto the thin fence to get down so she just cries & cries until I go to see what's happening. The roof has a high ridge so she can't see the front of the garden where there is a wall with a flat concrete stone she could jump onto. I talk to her & she follows me & climbs up the ridge down to the front and I entice her onto the wall. She must have a bad memory because she keeps on doing it & I keep having to talk her down. Her sister is not so daft as to climb up there!
I think she is playing a game with you and knows you will come out every time.
DeleteAs far as I know a female cat is called a Queen. The squared jaw on that stray looks more male though. Perhaps it was a neutered male so the gender wasn't obvious?
ReplyDeleteVery interesting River. I don't think they even questioned the gender.
DeleteWhen I was little (maybe 5), my kitty climbed up a big tree leaning against the roof at our upstairs bathroom. Somehow, I got the window open and crept out to the edge of the roof. As soon as I looked down, I was crying along with the kitty. My Dad rescued us both, and I got a stern warning against climbing out windows.I hope the cat that was rescued by the tree trimmer remembers not to climb so high again!
ReplyDeleteBarb, that is hilarious. Moral of the story...don't follow cats onto the roof.
DeleteCrazy feline. Some fire departments will, some won't. Don't however, believe that all cats will climb down by themselves eventually. Some do get stuck and have to be rescued as they can't free themselves.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if cats that really get stuck are older cats or younger cats? I have always heard they will eventually get down on their own.
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