ECN Forum Forums Safety Discussion and News Occupational Safety Discussion Would you try to rescue a cat?

And ... if so, how?

Here's a pic sent me from another forum. (Sorry for the size, etc ... it's not one of the usual formats).

Absolutly NOT! The cat will come down when ready.

Nor do I swerve for squirrels.

If you can't see the PNG file, here it is as a JPEG:

http://www.electricalphotos.com/showphoto.php/photo/439/ppuser/8

Ian A.

I agree, he will come down when he is ready or maybe a little quicker if he gets curious about those wires.

No, I've yet to see the skeleton of a cat in either a tree, or on a power pole.

I did not put the cat up there, and have no need to get him down. He will get down when he is ready.

Here's a pic of the rescue in progress (no, that's NOT me!):




I'm sure the PoCo has an extensive protocol that covers such situations.

My role in all this? As "supreme being" at a cat lovers' web site, this issue comes up with some frequency. I usually tell folks to be patient ... and I've managed to persuade a few folks to put away their ladders, send the tree-trimmer away, etc. There are very real dangers on those poles.

Now, I just have to learn how to change the format pictures come in ....

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.

and does he expect the cat to just hold on, while they climb back down......

In this case I wonder if the concern isn't practical as much as public relations: What about the potential for an outage if the cat gets into the primaries?

-John