Sacramento Firefighters No Longer Rescue Cats From Trees. This Family Found Out the Hard Way

Cinder spent more than 21 hours about 30 feet up a cypress tree in Sacramento’s Boulevard Park.

His family called the city, the police, the fire department and animal control. Every one of them said no.

What finally got the one year old cat down was a private tree company and $160.

Twenty One Hours of Phone Calls

Alisha Wiborn got home from work around 3:30 p.m. on Friday and recognized her cat’s voice coming from across the street.

She called a non emergency line and spoke to both police and fire staff. She was told nothing could be done.

Her husband, Ronnie Barnes, called animal control. Later that evening he got Engine 2 from the Sacramento Fire Department to come out.

By Wiborn’s account, the crew said there was nothing they could do and suggested leaving out a bowl of food. She did. The raccoons ate it.

What the City Said, and What It Didn’t

City Councilman Phil Pluckebaum said the image of a firefighter rescuing a kitten has not been standard municipal practice for a long time, the Sacramento Bee reported.

Ryan Hinderman of the Front Street Animal Shelter said animal control usually stays out of it, because cats normally come down on their own and rushing them can cause panic or injury. He said they might step in if a cat had been up there a very long time.

Fire department spokesperson Justin Sylvia did not respond to a request for comment, so the department’s own position is not on the record.

Neighbor Megan Martens asked the question nobody has answered: if these services are gone, whose job is it to tell people that?

How Cinder Came Down

Several arborists turned Wiborn down over liability. An Oroville company, Jaramillo Tree Services, happened to be nearby and agreed to try.

Two men worked from a roof, pulling the tree down far enough to reach him. If they had lost control, the cat could have been flung.

Shortly before noon on Saturday they got hold of him. The crowd on the sidewalk cheered. A neighbor helped pay the bill.

What to Do If Your Cat is Up a Tree

Wait first, but not blindly. Most cats come down within 24 to 48 hours once they are hungry and the area is quiet. Clear the crowd, bring dogs inside, put food at the base.

Start worrying after about two days, or sooner in bad weather, if the cat is injured or very young, or if the crying is getting weaker.

Do not put up a ladder yourself. Fire crews have ended up rescuing the person instead of the cat, and a frightened cat usually climbs higher.

When you call a tree service, say upfront that you will sign a liability waiver and ask whether they have a bucket truck or climbing gear. That question often turns a no into a yes.

Expect to pay. Cinder’s rescue cost $160, and that was with a crew already in the neighborhood.

Why This Matters

Sacramento is not unusual here. Fire departments increasingly treat these calls as too risky to take on.

Republic Fire Chief Duane Compton explained the reasoning: nobody knows if a branch will hold a ladder, and a scared cat fights back. If it jumps, it rarely ends well.

In one Indianapolis case, the fire department rescued a teenager who had climbed up after a cat, then left the cat where it was.

But Sacramento’s own record is muddled. In 2015 the fire department publicly confirmed it responded to cat in tree calls, and that same year it sent two ladder trucks for a cat stuck in a palm.

Now a councilman says it is not standard practice and the department is not commenting. That is less a policy problem than a communication one.

Back Inside the House

Penelope Barnes is seven. Asked what she would do once Cinder was indoors, she said she would pick him up.

If your cat got stuck tomorrow, would you know who to call? Tell us in the comments.

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not professional advice. Policies vary by city and department. Contact your local fire department, animal services or a licensed tree service about a specific situation.