Stranded cat causes concern in Iowa City

People in Iowa City have pleaded, watched and waited for a cat stuck in a tree near the 800 block of Clinton Street to claw its way to the ground.

"There's no reason she'd stay up in the tree and freeze if she could get down on her own,” said concerned resident Arlene Donnelly.

People living and working nearby say the feline found its way 30 feet up the tree on Thursday night, but can't seem to find a way back down.  Its cries keep homeowners and their pets up at night.  Those walking down the street stop and alert neighbors to the curious problem, one that many are already aware of.

"A lot of people walking by are concerned,” said Charlie Lasansky, who owns the property where the stranded cat is located. “They let us know there's a cat out there."

Iowa City police and fire officials say the cat will come down when it's ready.  Animal Control has posted a sign warning people to stay away, and that the cat has bitten at least two people.

"I really believe the best for her is to walk in the trap where there's food and take her to be treated medically,” said Teresa Kopel, president of the Johnson County Humane Society. She stopped by Sunday afternoon and has been checking on the cat every day for the past three days.

Kopel says the other option would be to tranquilize the cat, but animal control says the cat is too high up and would probably end up injured in the process.

Others say the city could take care of this quickly telling us the cat is clearly sick, scared and can't find a way out of the tree.

"I think we need to get her down,” said Donnelly, “Not just keep waiting for her to come down.  If she could get down, she would have by now."

The Iowa City Fire Department's Battalion Chief on duty Sunday said in his 20 years on duty, the city has never had to rescue a cat from a tree.  He added that trying to help get the cat down can put firefighters in unnecessary danger and take resources away from other emergencies.