Owner reunited with her cat after it became wedged in a tree in Watton
18-month-old Rosie was rescued from a tree in Watton by an RSPCA officer after being missing for four weeks. - Credit: Archant
A cat owner has thanked the actions of an RSPCA officer who retrieved her moggy in a late night rescue mission.
18-month-old Rosie was rescued from a tree in Watton by an RSPCA officer after being missing for four weeks. - Credit: Archant
Tina Woodward's cat Rosie first went missing on August 16, after being put out for the night.
Four weeks went by and the timid tabby had still not returned home to Norwich Road in Watton, prompting her owner to appeal to friends and neighbours to help find her pet.
Ms Woodward, 68, said: 'After four weeks I was feeling absolutely gutted, I had basically given up. But I knew that if she could come back she would try.'
Then one night, Ms Woodward was woken at midnight by a phone call from RSPCA officer Craig Plumley, who said he had rescued Rosie from a tree near Tesco – just around the corner from her home.
Mr Plumley, who was on call that night, had been alerted to the 18-month-old cat's predicament by two men who were sitting in the memorial gardens on Thetford Road and heard her meowing.
The acrobatic cat had managed to wedge herself high in the tree with a branch caught under her rib cage. The awkward position had also caused her back legs to bow outwards. Mr Plumley estimated Rosie had been stuck in the tree for around 24 hours.
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Ms Woodward said: 'I did not expect to get her back, and when I did she was in such a state.
'I took her to the vet in the morning thinking I was going to have to have her put down because of her legs, but the vet said we would have to keep an eye on her.
'From there she just went from strength to strength. It is a miracle really.
'She is from a family of farm cats, and they are feisty because they have to survive – maybe that is what saved her.
'I cannot thank the officer from the RSPCA enough.'
Mr Plumley was able to locate Ms Woodward quickly as Rosie had been fitted with a microchip – the first time the cat lover had taken this precaution with a pet.
He said: 'The biggest problem we have is when we come across cats that have been injured and are not chipped. Reuniting them with their owner is our number one priority – in this case within ten minutes of picking the cat up they were reunited, because she was microchipped. It was brilliant to see them together.'
Have you been helped by the RSPCA? Email bethany.whymark@archant.co.uk
