Sometimes my dogs make me so angry :(

[Pam]

I know they are dogs and just do what dogs do but this is the second time in about a week that mine have upset me. Last week Bella killed a bird right in my back yard. Today I heard Ripley outside barking his head off at the back fence. There are woods behind my property and we often have many critters back there. I almost didn't pay any attention because I assumed it was probably just a squirrel, but he was so insistent so I went to look. As I walked toward him I noticed a small kitten climbing up a tree to get away from him. He/she looked so terrified. I put the dogs in the house and went back with my camera. It is so dark under the trees that if my flash hadn't gone off you wouldn't even have been able to see him/her. The poor little thing is so scared. I meowed at the little sweetheart and his/her eyes stayed glued on me. It is a rare, rare occurrence to see a cat or kitten roaming the streets. I have no idea where this little one came from. Do you think he/she will be able to come back down the tree? Oh I hope so. What will happen to this little one. Do kittens die up in trees? I am so angry with Ripley but I know he was just behaving like a dog. Does anyone know if he will eventually be able to come down. I think he is probably about 16' up the tree.


And another one....

[JenBKR]

aww What a little cutie! I would think that the kitten will climb back down when those mean doggies are in the house and he/she feels safe again. I wouldn't worry about it too much, just maybe go out and check a couple times and see if he's still there. Ripley probably wasn't trying to scare the kitten, probably just telling the kitten that it's HIS property

[ComedyDevil]

Awww *hugs* I can totally sympathise, Squid is the same way with cats that come into the yard.

Our yard is fenced into three parts, one for the dogs, one for the chickens and a bit in the middle for plants, that's where the cats like to sit, and even though the fence is high, I'm worried that one day Squid will be able to get over it, and I know he'd kill a cat if he got to it. When I see the cats there, I have to go outside and shoo them away, which I feel guilty for, but at least it stops Squid from getting to them.

regarding the kitten in the tree. Assuming it's not a really tiny kitten, which it doesn't appear to be from the pictures, it should make it down on it's own. You could maybe put some food down to tempt it, or try calling it again. If it doesn't come down within 24 hours, it might be time to send someone up with a ladder, or as a last resort, call the fire brigade.

I hope it comes down soon

[anna_66]

I understand how you feel Pam, my dogs have done this very same thing many, many times. I'm sure if you leave them in the house for a while the kitty should feel safe enough to come down.

Bella, Ripley...you two be good puppies and don't give your mom such a hard time

[Rachel]

Ripley was just alerting you to a dreaded intruder. Don't be angry at the little fellow. Knowing you, you probably have some of Andy or Trev's food placed strategically near the tree and the dogs have been banished to the house and you have been out there *checking on* the little waif several times (providing you didn't have to go to work).

[caseysmom]

Sounds like a good excuse to call in some hunky firemen

[pitc9]

Hugs to you!
I know how tou feel!
My pups make me mad sometimes too!
{hugs}
I'm sure the kitten will come down on it's own.
I don't know about putting food out, unless you plan on catching it and finding it's owners, or a furever home because you'll have a frequent visitor coming back to see if you put out more food.
Do you have a humane trap? Or know someone that does? You can catch the kitten that way!

[Cinder & Smoke]

Do kittens die up in trees?

Does anyone know if he will eventually be able to come down.
I think he is probably about 16' up the tree.

When I was Fire Chief (a while ago) - we DID get calls for Kat inna Tree ...
And after several of us got beat up and fell off ladders making "Kat Rescues" ...
I called my buddy the County Humane Officer.

He answered my question of how to "rescue" treed cats with a question:
"Have you EVER seen a Cat Skeleton in a tree?"

His three-step rescue - (and he didn't ever use a ladder) - was:
1) Remove ALL dogs from the area and keep them away
2) Provide food & water at the base of the tree
3) Go Home and **wait** ...

I forget how many days he said it might take - between 3 to 5 I think ...
but he said more than once that his method never failed.

We had one hold-out that had been "treed" by it's own family dog - was my second
attempt to use the Dave Method. Darn Kat held out for just about Dave's "limit" in days ...
I'd make once or twice daily visits to The Kat Tree Residence doing my best to
assure the Frantic Owner that Kitty would be down any minute.
(And Kitty was WAY UP and well beyond the reach of our tallest ladder!)

What I had told myself was the last day to *wait* - was the day kitty got
hungry enough
to run back down the tree - she was *hollering* to get in the back door at dawn.

Keep an eye on Ripley's Kitten ... but Ripley needs to stay away!

[ramanth]

I'm sure the kitty will come down when he/she feels it's safe. *HUGS*

Don't be too hard on Ripley, but I know what you mean when they push all the wrong buttons.

[KYS]

I know exactly how you feel.
I use to spend a few mornings crying and being
so angry with Rocky in the past.

That is why Rocky has a bed time curfew.

Even though it's up in the tree,
I am glad the kitten is safe.

[kimlovescats]

Poor little kitty! I'm sure he / she will make it back down ok! I loved Phred's comment about "have you ever seen a cat skeleton in a tree" .... LOL TOO FUNNY!!!

I know it's upsetting to see Bella and Ripley display their prey instincts, but I guess they are just trying really hard to keep mommy's backyard free from them varments!

[sasvermont]

Pam, what will you do with the kitten if it comes down?

The food, water thing sounds good! It will come down. Honestly. Its amazing what a little food will do. Tuna might do the trick.

Ugh.

Such a cute kitten!

[Logan]

Poor Pam! Isn't it amazing that our dogs don't react to our own cats at all, but let them see one they haven't seen before and they go nuts! Mine are the exact same way!

Hope the little kitty comes down and finds its way back home. You remember when Mimi was chased up that tree last year, don't you, Pam? And Helen and I moved Heaven and Earth to get that cat out of the tree!!!

Logan

[lizbud]

Poor Pam! Isn't it amazing that our dogs don't react to our own cats at all, but let them see one they haven't seen before and they go nuts! Mine are the exact same way!

Logan

It's the same thing here too. My dogs know our cats from a
strange cat. Anything outside is fair game according to them.I wouldn't
be surprised if Ripley runs right to the same spot in the yard when you let
him outside again.Smokey does that all the time. It's frustrating, but true.

I hope the kitty feels safe enough to come down on it's own.

[Pam]

"Have you EVER seen a Cat Skeleton in a tree?"

Phred this put my mind at ease right away so thank you for that. I had always heard that kitties needed to be rescued and so I thought maybe some of them never did come down on their own.

I have good news to report. Little kitty came down by himself/herself. The dogs were not happy with limited outies this morning but I wanted to give him/her time to feel safe. Eventually with the removal of my *tiny little big mouth* from the scene he/she did feel safe enough to come down.

Sallyanne, you asked the same question that Robyn did....."What will you do with him if you get him down?" Don't think I wasn't already thinking that if he needed a home he had probably found one. Maybe that's why Ripley thought he'd better chase him away! LOL! Anyway, long story short (is it too late for that?) the tree is empty and I am hoping that little kitty has found a safe place to be or, better yet, if he has humans of his own that he has gone back to them.

Logan and Liz, it is totally amazing to me also that the dogs react this way to a cat since they live with two and hardly pay them any mind. I guess it is like when the trashmen come or a visitor to the door - they have to let everyone know for miles around that something/someone has tried to invade us. LOL!