Fire brigade rescues cat from tree after 20 hours

A cat named Mascha spent almost 20 hours in a tree in Wilhering, in the Linz-Land district, before climbing down safely, ORF reported. Firefighters had tried to rescue her using a 40-metre telescopic mast platform, but she eventually returned to the ground on her own.

The Schönering fire brigade first attempted to bring Mascha down on Friday evening using an extension ladder, a landing net and treats. “We also tried talking gently to her, but the cat simply did what she wanted,” incident commander David Leitner said.

Mascha had already been stuck about 12 metres above the ground for several hours. Even the severe storm overnight did not persuade her to leave the tree. After about two hours, the firefighters initially ended their rescue attempt, hoping she would climb down later.

But Mascha was still in the tree on Saturday morning. After checking the location again following another fire brigade call nearby, the firefighters requested support from Alkoven. A 40-metre telescopic mast platform was brought in to help reach the cat.

The rescue did not go entirely as planned. As the platform approached, Mascha jumped onto another tree. “The cat then really threw us a curveball,” Leitner said.

Mascha eventually climbed down by herself and was safely caught by a firefighter on the ground. After 20 hours, she was handed back to her family, who had been waiting for her return.