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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Or are these women just ... argg??

301 replies

Rosieeo · 10/12/2011 23:09

My cat is up a very tall, thin tree behind our house and has been there for three days now. She's 14 and very timid.

We realised she was missing after 24 hours (she is often out overnight) and went looking for her. She wasn't hard to find but will not come down. We've tried food, water, pusspusspussing. She just sits there and mews. So I rang the RSPCA who said that cats up trees normally come down within five days and that they wouldn't call the firemen till then. I mentioned the cold and they said that they'd send someone to assess but not to worry. A woman came out and said to keep encouraging her but that she would come down and if she didn't they would arrange something. Not to try to get to her. Fair enough, I thought.

Fast forward 24 hours and a woman from around the corner and her two friends come to the door. Is that my cat and what's going on? So I explain. They wanted to know why we hadn't tried to get her down. I explained. They asked why I hadn't put ladders up to get her. I'm eight months pregnant, which I thought might speak for itself. So I started to get annoyed, told them to leave it and shut the door.

This morning I went out to the cat and she's 10 foot higher than she was before. Perched in the branches where she was the night before is a bowl, I presume of food.

Midday, the women come round again. All of them. Why haven't I got the cat out of the tree? I pointed out that they had actually forced her further up the tree. Well at least we tried, they said, why haven't I called 999? Because it's not an emergency and costs 500 quid. Wouldn't it be worth it? They ask. Hmm. I told them not to knock again and to leave it to us and the RSPCA. And at this rate the bloody firemen.

As they were leaving, one of them said (very loudly and deliberately) "I feel sorry for her baby if that's how she treats her cat."

Am I being unreasonable to feel somewhat aggrieved?

OP posts:
Cathycomehome · 10/12/2011 23:12

YANBU!!

Crabapple99 · 10/12/2011 23:13

what nsasty spiteful interfering people, if they had any genuine concern for the cst they would have listened to you and understood the situation. Don't worry about theiur horrible comments, they are ajust enjoying creating a situation that's all. I hope yuor cat is ok. we lost our up on a roof for 6days a few montha sgo, but it all worked out fine in the end.

troisgarcons · 10/12/2011 23:14

This morning I went out to the cat and she's 10 foot higher than she was before. Perched in the branches where she was the night before is a bowl, I presume of food

Who put a bowl 10 feet further up the tree?

That bit lost me. Shes climbed 10 feet higher and there is a bowl of food?

I presume who ever put it there can get her down? because they are either very tall or have a ladder.

Why cant your partner (well you are 8 months gone) go up the ladder and entice her?

griphook · 10/12/2011 23:15

some people YANBU, they are being interfering and have caused your poor cat more destress.

AgentZigzag · 10/12/2011 23:16

Awww your poor mog.

She was just being shitty saying that, if they feel that badly about it they can have a whip round to raise the £500!

griphook · 10/12/2011 23:17

*distress

AgentZigzag · 10/12/2011 23:17

Grin at the Very Tall Cat Lover leaving food up a tree.

amistillsexy · 10/12/2011 23:18

what a load of catty women! (Sorry, couldn't resist! Xmas Grin

I hope your poor puss comes home soon. They should realise if it won't come down for it's mummy, it's not likely to come down for a load of interfering old busybodies!

If they feel that strongly they should club together and pay the 500 quid for the fire brigade.
Trouble is, puss is likely to go stright back up again if it still feels scared, so it would be a waste of time and money

YANBU at all.

jollyoldstnickschick · 10/12/2011 23:19

Awaits flaming .....

many years ago when i was a young mum,a cat climbed up the telegraph pole behind my house he was furiously meowing and obviously distressed - no-one could get to him the ladders simply werent long enough and the footposts rickety....I rang the fire brigade,they refused to come Xmas Sad so I rang back and said a man had tried to rescue the cat and was now stuck ....they came (the fire station was literally in the next st) when they got there I said the man had managed to get down but since they were here would they get the cat? ......they did and were very nice about it!!

Rosieeo · 10/12/2011 23:19

Thanks, I was starting to feel like the baddy!

Trois, where the cat was before (i.e. lower) there is now food. The cat moved up the tree away from the person bringing the food. We don't have tall ladders and even if we did, we were told not to try to get her down.

OP posts:
squeakytoy · 10/12/2011 23:20

I wouldnt leave my cat stuck up a tree for so long in the middle of winter. I appreciate that at 8 months pregnant you can hardly shin up a ladder, but surely you know someone who would.

The RSPCA are a bunch of twats who only come out to help if they think they might get some good publicity.

Rosieeo · 10/12/2011 23:21

:o at AmIStillSexy

OP posts:
Rosieeo · 10/12/2011 23:22

She's about 30 foot up now :( As much as I love her, I'm not asking anyone to go up and get her.

OP posts:
hmc · 10/12/2011 23:24

Given that you have explained to the women that you are following the RSPA's advice they are - as you say - being a bit argg!

squeakytoy · 10/12/2011 23:24

Why not for gods sakes? it is freezing, the cat will be terrified, and if she is 14, she isnt going to be in the best of health for sitting up in a tree for days like that.

Why cant your husband/partner bloody try and rescue it.

Leaving her is cruel. Try ringing other animal rescue places who might have a bit more compassion than you or the RSPCA.

WorraLiberty · 10/12/2011 23:26

They shouldn't have said that about your baby

But fucking hell it's cruel to leave an old cat stuck up a tree in this weather. Don't forget, if it won't come down it's because it feels it can't and it's bloody scared.

Surely you know someone who can help? Sad

Crabapple99 · 10/12/2011 23:26

no off course you can't ask anyone to go that high, but try not to worry, don't fogrt the scottish wild cats are out of doors and up trees most of their lives, in all sorts of weather, ans come to no harm... and they are almost all hybridised with domestic moggies, anyway

Rosieeo · 10/12/2011 23:28

Really, you'd ask someone's husband, father, grandfather to go 30 foot up a tree after a cat? I don't come from a family of window cleaners!

OP posts:
squeakytoy · 10/12/2011 23:28

Where does it say this is a scotish wild cat?

Hmm

30ft is not exactly Blackpool Tower either...

AgentZigzag · 10/12/2011 23:29

I think that's what the OP is saying squeaky, her neighbours are calling her cruel leaving the cat she loves up a tree, but she's not leaving her, she's doing everything she can to get her down.

It's not like she's just left her there without a thought.

Crabapple99 · 10/12/2011 23:29

It is a very upsetting situation, but htere is nothing you can do, and there's a good chance she will sort herself out and come down in the end on her own.

hmc · 10/12/2011 23:29

However just found this which says otherwise exquisitekitty.com/cat_stuck_in_tree.html

squeakytoy · 10/12/2011 23:29

I would, and have gone up a ladder 30ft myself.. why would a man be the only one able to do it?

Rosieeo · 10/12/2011 23:29

Squeaky, I'd rather have my husband than the cat I'm afraid.

OP posts:
YonderRevoltingPeasantWhoIsHe · 10/12/2011 23:30

Don't know what to suggest OP but it is very annoying when other people interfere with your pets.

My mum's dog is very scared of fireworks, to the extent that days after a display she doesn't want to go for a bathroom walk - obviously she needs to - we had a neighbour who used to do this whole judgy 'that POOR animal, has she GOT to go out, what a shame, why is she shaking' etc. Angry

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