Attempted Rescue

Attempted Rescue

A few nights ago, I saw a kitten trapped on this ledge (click on the photo to see the notes of where it was, and where I was):

I could see that this kitten was trapped, and was not going to get off the ledge without help.

So I grabbed a flashlight, a step-stool and a small bowl of canned cat food and headed out to the far wall, which is actually at ground level on the other side. I went up the step-stool, climbed over the wall, carefully let myself down onto the ledge (although that far wall looks low, it’s actually a bit high for a person of my height), and put the food bowl down near the kitten, who wouldn’t even look at it. Instead, it hissed and backed away from me, redoubling its frantic efforts to find a way off the ledge.

Although I have a slight fear of heights, I realized that I could handle this situation. The ledge is fairly broad, and I was in no danger of falling. A resident of the building watched me from the entrance, but did nothing – he couldn’t do anything from where he was, anyway, and I assume that he could tell from the kitten’s loud cries of distress, the food bowl in my hand, and my attempts to calm the kitten, why I was there.

Gathering my courage, I crouched near the wall, reached out and grabbed the kitten – who was leaning over the ledge by this time – by the scruff of its neck, lifted it up and whisked it to the upper ledge on the far side, which leads to safety.

I put the kitten down next to the food bowl, but it didn’t even look at the food. It bolted almost the moment that its paws touched the surface.

Sigh.

Well, I tried.