by Shawn Shearer

Created on: February 20, 2009

Cats love trees. They love scratching and sharpening their claws on them. They watch the birds and insects sitting in them with slitted eyes and taut body. They perk their ears when the leaves are driven by the wind to rustle and swing.

Cats also love to climb trees. Sometimes just for the fun of climbing. Sometimes in hopes of catching that bird, or insect, or leaf that has been toying with their senses long enough. And sometimes they climb a tree because it is the best escape from the dog that has chased them.

Once they are up the tree, they have to get down. Problem is those well-honed claws are designed for pulling and ripping toward the cat's body. So, it's easier to go up than to come down. If they could defy gravity, turn face-first down that wonderful tree, it would be as slick as a bowl of premium pate for that cat.

Unfortunately, defying gravity is just out of the question, even though it often appears that cats can defy everything. Getting out of that tree, especially for the first-time kitty climber, can be an exercise in patience and fear.

Cats are exceptionally capable of figuring stuff out. Eventually, they will figure out how to back down that tree, or find an alternate route from the tree to something else that is more manageable, like a shed or fence.

This is particularly true for cats that have raced up the tree for the sheer exhilaration of launching themselves up that tree for fun or are on the hunt. If they've raced up out of fear or to protect themselves, it's best to remove the fear factor and give him time to understand the threat is over.

It's best to talk him down if you have the time. Hearing your voice encouraging him and boosting his confidence will usually do the trick, though it make take a while and he may have several false starts before he figures it all out.

If your cat, the one you know and love, is up that tree and you just can't wait for her to figure out how to get down; you can go up the tree to get her. I had a very young kitty who was scared and tornado warnings were going off, so waiting was out of the question.

Make sure you protect yourself though! Put on a thick coat, something to protect your neck, and gloves. Even when you are sure your cat trusts you, she either will still be scared or doesn't want to come down. And those glorious claws can do a whole lot of damage very quickly.

Get as close as you can to her. If you can't get within grasping distance, you may have to talk her to you. In most cases, she'll come to you

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