Social media post leads to cat being rescued from a tree

MILWAUKEE, (CBS 58)-- A stray cat stuck on a tree last week was rescued by an employee of a tree removal company that has some history in doing cat rescue efforts. This happened all thanks to a Facebook group calling attention to the situation.

The cat climbed a tree at a Milwaukee family's backyard on South 21st Street on Feb. 23. That's about 40 feet tall and it was stuck up there for a day in freezing temperatures.

The woman who lives at the home, Amber Kozlowski, made a plea on a Facebook group page she is part of to get help for the cat. They called the fire department and every other service they thought could help but didn't have any luck. The power of social media however, led to the hero who helped get the job done.

"I primarily do tree trimming removals, you know, stuff in tight spaces with no equipment access. I climb trees every day," said Everett Anderson, a certified arborist and rescuer of the cat.

It's a skill that has come in very handy. Anderson works as an arborist at 'Making the Cut Tree Services' in Muskego. It isn't his first time doing rescues like this on the job.

"It was actually my fourth one I've done," said Anderson.

"I came out my back door and all of a sudden the cat ran from underneath my fire pit and just ran up the tree and he was up there for a long time. I was starting to get worried so I started asking people on Facebook if they had a ladder to help get the cat down," said Kozlowski.

It took a while to get help but sure enough, Anderson's boss saw the post and sent him over right away.

"People reach out to our company, it’s not uncommon and it’s natural to contact our aerial operator and expert. Our first call is usually out to Everett. He's always jumped on it and dropped what he’s been doing immediately," said Tyson Ballos, owner of 'Making the Cut Tree Services.'

It wasn't as easy as climbing a ladder to get the job done.

"At first I was kind of skeptic, like why is someone coming to climb a tree? We just needed a ladder. Then, when Everett went up there and pet the cat, the cat went higher. So then I understood why we needed a climber instead of a ladder. And then once he got the cat down I was just amazed at how well he had done getting the cat down and I was shouting in excitement," said Kozlowski.

"There was no equipment access. There's no bucket truck, no backyard lift. Nothing could have gotten back there to get up on the tree so it really takes somebody with skilled knowledge to be able to ascend the tree safely and get the cat down. It is an absolute blessing that we as a company have Everett on our team to be able to provide that service to the community," said Ballos.

Anderson said he hopes this brings more attention and appreciation to the arborist community.

"I think it’s really cool. Climbing is definitely kind of a weird skill to have, but I'm glad I could use it for good," said Anderson.

The cat is safe and was adopted by a family friend of Kozlowski's. Besides being a skilled arborist, Anderson can also add cat whisperer to his title!