Posted: Nov. 20, 2008, 3 a.m. EST
Kitty the cat is back on the ground, thanks to the efforts of Seattle City Light. The utility company used two crews, two bucket trucks, nonconductive extension poles and other safety equipment to remove the cat from his perch atop a utility pole in Magnolia, Wash., the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports.
“We’re pleased that the cat was able to get back to his owner,” said Scott Thomsen, spokesman for Seattle City Light. Thomsen said the utility company does not often rescue cats but made an exception because of the attention drawn to Kitty’s situation.
“We were most concerned that a Good Samaritan might come over and try to rescue this cat on their own,” Thomsen said. “This was an extraordinary set of circumstances.” Kitty climbed the pole on Friday and refused to come down. Efforts to reach him caused him to climb higher, and he eventually reached the top of the pole, perching near some power lines carrying 26,000 volts of electricity. “It was not a safe place for the cat,” Thomsen said.
Two utility crews were dispatched Tuesday morning to remove the cat. The crews covered the power lines with protective sleeves, then pushed and prodded the cat into a loop on the end of a pole. They then lowered the cat to people on the ground, who caught Kitty in a blanket.