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Tree surgeon saves cat from 60ft tree
The RSPCA feared they would be unable to rescue Princess until the next morning, 48 hours after she had gone up there.
The RSPCA called him in after rescue officers’ attempts failed.

A tree surgeon has rescued a stranded cat after it became stuck in a 60ft high fir tree in Cambridgeshire.

Seth Masters, who owns Iceni Tree Care in Norfolk, was called in by the RSPCA after fire and rescue officers were unable to scale the conifer.

Princess the cat was found in the tree on Friday 22 December, when the rescue charity was called to save her. The rescue officers discovered Princess almost at the top of the tree, and contacted the fire and rescue service.

When the fire and rescue team arrived on the scene, they could not mount their ladders against the tree due to the height of the tree and limited access to the garden.

The RSPCA feared they would be unable to rescue Princess until the next morning, 48 hours after she had gone up there.

However Mr Masters answered the charity’s calls for help and offered his climbing skills to retrieve the feline. He carried out a rope rescue, using his tree-climbing equipment to climb the swaying fir tree and lower Princess down in a rope bag to waiting RSPCA inspector Justin Stubbs.

The RSPCA advises cat owners to give their cat time to climb down from trees themselves, or tempt them with food or smelly treats, before contacting a rescue team.

If the cat stays stuck up the tree for over 24 hours, the weather conditions are bad, or the cat is injured or young, then cat owners should contact 0300 1234 999. The RSPCA may need to contact the fire and rescue service if necessary, and fire office may use the situation for training purposes.

Owners may be asked to contact a tree surgeon if the RSPCA is unable to get someone to the cat.

RSPCA inspector Justin Stubbs said: “The RSPCA can't thank Seth enough as this was a very high and technical rescue, which without his genuine expertise the cat may have had to stay up there for at least another day.

“With it being Christmas and it being an urgent rescue, Seth said he wasn’t even going to charge the RSPCA for his work, which was a great gesture.”

Image © RSPCA

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