A cat is spotted in a tree by its cute neighbor, and it turns out a family has been searching for it for two weeks

A cat has been spotted in a tree by a kind neighbor. As it turned out, a family had been searching for her for two weeks.

Winifred the Cat and Sarah HughesHolly Young

Holly Young was on a routine walk with her dog Nugget earlier this month when she noticed something unusual.

Despite all the barking of dogs from across the street, she could hear the faintest meow around an elementary school. “When we kept walking, I noticed the meowing had stopped. I picked up the Nugget so I could walk quietly, and the meowing started again,” Holly told Love Meow.

I looked at the nearby tall tree and was surprised to see a small silhouette of a cat in the street light.

Holly Young found a cat stuck in a tree 25 feet highHolly Young

“She was about 25 feet tall and had no branches to jump on. So my invitation to her didn’t work.”

Holly called the school the next day hoping for some help. I also reached out to the local Humane Society and the Fire Department, but they were all unable to help.

Holly Young

“A friend with an extension ladder came in that evening, and climbed up to her, but she would have jumped out of reach.”

Holly runs to a nearby store, gets a can of tuna, and goes up again to feed the cat. Despite her best efforts to try to persuade the cat, she was unable to pull it from the tree. She came back the next day, and the cat was still there.

Holly Young

The owner of the building opposite flagged the situation and offered his ladder the extension. The tenant came to lend a hand. By then, the cat had become familiar with Holly and didn’t hold back when she saw her again.

Letting her guard down, the exhausted cat allowed Holly to pet her and drop her off safely.

The cat was very relieved when it was in the safety of a carrierHolly Young

“I held her close to me and climbed one rung at a time. When I put her inside (the carrier), she was very passive and compliant. She seemed very relaxed,” Holly told Love Meow.

Holly contacted Sarah Hughes, a volunteer at Meow mission, for a safe place for the cat. “She was friendly, relaxed in handling, and purred after she had some food and water.”

Holly Young

When Sarah saw how friendly the cat was, she thought the cute girl was probably someone’s pet.

Holly came home that day with this thought troubling her. She started checking the lost & found page regularly but couldn’t find anything about the cat.

Holly and her rescue catHolly Young

I decided to file a “found pet” report, and took the cat to the Family Pet Health Center to have it checked for a microchip. “When I walked in, the vet took one look at the carrier and said, ‘I know who this cat belongs to,'” Holly shared with Love Meow.

“Two of the clinic’s veterinary technicians live in the same neighborhood, and they both saw a post (online) about the cat. They also each received a full-color ‘Lost Pet’ post featuring this sweet cat with distinctive facial markings.”

They find out that the cat has been missing for two weeksHolly Young

As it turned out, the cat named Winnifred had been missing for two weeks. It was an indoor cat that quickly escaped out the front door, traveling more than three miles to a tree in Holly’s neighborhood.

The owner, Madge, had posted fliers on every door in her neighborhood, hoping someone would see them.

The cat, Winnifred, is snuggling with a vet who recognizes herHolly Young

The employee called Madge, and said, “Someone bring Winifred in.” And she pulled the phone away from her ear because Madge exclaimed, “What?” Holly shared.

Madge ran to the clinic to meet her beloved cat. When she walked across the parking lot, they could see the anticipation on her face.

Madge was so happy to be reunited with her beloved cat, WinnieHolly Young

Madge was overjoyed and teary-eyed as she held Holly tightly in a warm embrace. Then she cradled Winifred in her arms, grinning from ear to ear.

“She was telling all of us that it was just that morning, she was taking a walk and she was trying to come to terms with the fact that she might never see Winnie again,” said Holly. “It was just the most amazing reunion I think any of us have ever experienced.”

home sweet homeMadge

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