Cat reunited with owner after utility pole rescue in Riverwest

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A cat, rescued by We Energies crews from the top of a tall pole in Riverwest on Thursday is back with his owner tonight and the owner is expressing thankfulness for the many people who made the reunion possible.

This sweet moment, a reunion for the little black cat and his feline brother a day after an incredible rescue in Riverwest.

Thursday brought tense moments as animal lovers watched from below.

We now know his name's Nairobi and he lives less than half a mile from where he got stranded.

"Oh my gosh, the sweetest cat ever," said Emilie Rackovan, cat rescuer.

Once We Energies got the little black cat down, his owner wasn't around, so Emilie Rackovan took him home and gave him some food.

"So, this poor guy was just starving so I gave him another can, and he scarfed that down. He ended up eating four cans of food in one sitting," said Rackovan.

Rackovan's been rescuing cats for years. Her latest, this little guy, that has a condition that makes him unsteady on his paws.

"My friends are like 'how do you get yourself in these situations,'" said Rackovan.

When Rackovan got Nairobi home, the push was on to find his owner, but it wasn't easy.

"We were all so worried about this poor cat and then you feel such relief when he's down and then I get him home and I'm stressed again because now I'm like 'oh my gosh, I hope that I can find an owner and like what do I do,'" said Rackovan.

Rackovan ended up spending the night on the floor in her bathroom, helping to keep Nairobi calm.

"I expected him to just like go to sleep right away because like you must be so tired, but he was crying if he couldn't see me," said Rackovan.

Morning came and Rackovan borrowed a friend's microchip scanner, discovering Nairobi was chipped. After some online searches, hours later, a relieving message from the cat's owner saying, "We thought he was gone forever. I appreciate you so much." In the handoff, the owner anonymously thanked the public saying, "I appreciate you guys so much. He's very well missed. His brother's here missing hm."

Turns out Nairobi's been gone since December. We found the original Facebook post, asking for help finding him.

"I'm very glad that he ended up with me and my crazy FBI skills on social media have finally, I've been able to use them for good," said Rackovan.