He was in a difficult situation, yet he was choosy about who could assist him.
Gypsy the cat comes and goes, vanishing from the house for weeks at a time, living up to his name. The cat in Phoenix, Arizona, who treasures his independence, is dependent on the generosity of his neighbors, who provide him with food and water.
Therefore, no one suspected anything was amiss when the black and white cat vanished over the weekend.
The courageous cat got himself into trouble on Friday when he to climb an electrical pole, which turned out to be much higher than he had anticipated.
It wasn’t until Monday morning that the cat was located by concerned neighbors. A local ABC News station was sent to the scene to record the unfolding rescue effort, which was broadcast live on Facebook.
Neighbors say a cat has been stuck atop a power pole since Friday; a utility worker has been dispatched to lure the “community” feline down, KNXV reports. https://t.co/HVaDpvjYUs pic.twitter.com/rdkrHtcl6I
— ABC News (@ABC) March 26, 2018
Numerous others watched Gypsy for an hour and a half as he laid on top of the pole, sat on the pole, licked himself, tried to get off, changed his mind, and continued to lick himself.
The kitten hung on the pole for three days, unable to figure out how to descend, waiting for help.
After a utility technician scaled the live power pole with a very, very tall ladder, it appeared like Gypsy would at last be back safely on the ground.
When he barely touched the cat’s fur, he extended his arm. But the unidentified hero persisted, climbing up to the top of the shaky ladder, and skillfully snatched the cat off the pole. Gypsy was safely tucked under his arm, and he carefully down the ladder.
Cat rescued after being stuck on power pole for three days – https://t.co/wQpul7chbx pic.twitter.com/cVQtckuNnC
— WTOL 11 (@WTOL11Toledo) March 27, 2018
Gypsy was clearly exhausted but relieved — as were the hundreds of thousands of viewers.
Gypsy’s owners, Jenny Hardin and Ash Morgan, were grateful that help had come in time. “I know him well enough that he could have jumped, and knowing him he probably would have,” Hardin told AZ Family, “but thank goodness he didn’t ’cause that is kind of high for a cat.”
911 calls for cat stuck on utility pole clog Phoenix dispatchers’ phone lines, https://t.co/0sbXKh1nCZ via @meganrcassidy @austgrad (The kitty’s name is Gypsy, and she’s safe now.) pic.twitter.com/R83tvp9ZAN
— Linda Dono (@LindaDono) March 26, 2018
Though the story has a happy ending, it’s unclear whether Gypsy’s adventurous spirit has been tamed as a result of his adventure.
