Community members rescue cat stuck in Toledo tree for two weeks

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TOLEDO, Ohio (WJW) — Thanks to an Ohio landscaping company, a cat was rescued Saturday after being stuck in a tree for two weeks.

According to the Compassionate Village, a Toledo area animal rescue group, Manhattan had been stuck in a 35 to 40-foot tall pine tree since June 7.

Concerned citizens reached out to the Toledo Police and the Toledo Fire Department and were informed this was something first responders were unable to assist with.

The citizens then hired a friend to climb the tree in effort to rescue the cat, which unfortunately scared Manhattan and caused him to climb higher. These individuals called for the cat and left food and water out for him, but he still refused to come down.

They then reached out to Humane Ohio for assistance and were connected with the Compassionate Village.

The shelter used its resources and contacted Northwestern Tree Service and Landscaping who agreed to help get Manhattan out of the tree.

“We were blown away by their level of care and concern and without hesitation, they sent one of their seasoned employees, Aaron Norris, to the scene to help us assess the situation,” shelter officials wrote on Facebook. “Aaron knew what it would take to rescue this kitty and without fear, he jumped into action!”

Video of the rescue shows that Manhattan was terrified when Norris approached him from the cherry picker. However, Norris was able to get the cat out of the tree. He reportedly received several scratches and wounds on his hands.

Manhattan is now in the care of the shelter. His lab work came back well, showing no abnormalities.

He did, however, suffer from severe dehydration and lack of nutrients.

Manhattan was also sedated and shaved down. He had been covered in tree sap which resulted in a combination of matted fur and sap on all four of his paw pads.

He has been placed on an IV and will receive the medical attention he needs to regain his health and strength. Once he has recovered he will likely be adopted out.

The Compassionate Village says they named the cat Manhattan because the tree he was stuck in was located on Manhattan Boulevard.

If you’d like to make a donation to help pay for Manhattan’s care, you can do so by visiting the Compassionate Village’s website.