Absolutly NOT! The cat will come down when ready.
Nor do I swerve for squirrels.
That is too funny because that's exactly what I was thinking. Cats will outlive me by eight lives and squirrels are nothing but pests. Large rats in my opinion.
Seriously, I don't see the justification in placing a lineman in the way of unnecessary harm. Every time they head up a pole, they know that they might not come back down. Doing his regular job is dangerous enough as it is, but going up there for non-work related stuff just isn't worth the risk. The cat will figure it out. Cats are much smarter than we think that they are.
I'm also not a fan of the taxpayer's money being wasted for firefighters to retrieve cats from trees.
I understand that utility companies and fire departments offer these rescues in an effort to provide good community relations, and maybe some practice. I say take the cat's family out to dinner with a $50.00 gift certificate. The cat will be home by the time they return and no human lives will be risked. I'm sure that's a lot cheaper than paying for a line crew with a truck for an hour.
OK, I admit it. I don't like cats but only because they are smarter than we are.