Thank you, Lakeside firefighters, for helping Mew-Mew

Candice Knight, Kirstenhof

I wasn’t sure if firefighters rescuing cats from trees was urban myth, but in desperation one night last week, I called them when I discovered my little ginger cat, Mew-Mew, was stuck in the prickly mass at the top of our very tall date palm.

To my surprise, they were very obliging, and 1 Platoon from Lakeside fire station arrived promptly to assist with their 12-metre ladder. They spent hours up the tree in the cold.

I was especially impressed with the woman on the team. It’s inspiring to see such a strong, capable woman in this line of work. She added her woman’s touch to the whole procedure, and very nearly talked Mew-Mew into her arms, but he changed his mind and decided to retreat further into the spiny branches of the palm.

Eventually, with the help of our kind neighbour, Lee-Anne, and company, they propped a gutter against the tree in case Mew-Mew decided to climb down on his own. All of this was done in good spirits with careful consideration to the large squirrel drey also wedged in the spiny mass of the tree.

I am pleased to report that Mew-Mew did manage to make his own way down, unscathed, later that night. The squirrels are all fine too.

Two days later, the fire station called to find out how Mew-Mew was doing.

It's comforting to know that this platoon has our backs.