Firefighters couldn't reach a cat trapped 50 feet up a tree for 3 days. Then a tree surgeon stepped in
'He’s going to be dehydrated and hungry. His muscles must have been absolutely shattered,' Carey said.
Having a pet go missing is a harrowing experience. On September 13, 2026, Momo, a ginger cat, went missing from his home in Kent, England. Five days later, a neighbor spotted him, but he managed to disappear again. It wasn't until 30-year-old Connor Carey (@connormts), owner of Maidstone Tree Surgeons and an arborist with 13 years of experience, stepped in that Momo was finally rescued after being missing for more than two weeks. The video was shared on September 29, 2026, and it reached over 11,800 views, 1,264 likes, and 165 comments.
Great heights
Momo had been missing for two weeks, but was spotted on top of a sycamore tree at Maidstone's Army barracks by a neighbor. They heard the cat meowing in distress and immediately got help, but the equipment available at the barracks could not reach the cat. Momo had been stuck on the tree at around 50 to 55 feet for almost 72 hours (3 days). The owners called Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS), but they could not reach Momo either.
A spokesperson for KFRS told Kent Online, "One fire engine attended, and crews used reach and rescue poles in an attempt to retrieve the cat, but the animal climbed to a higher position. Due to the location of the tree, a height vehicle could not be operated." The KFRS attempted another rescue the following day, but were concerned about the "structural stability" of the tree and paused their rescue. The owners were asked to contact them when Momo climbed to a lower position or to contact a professional tree surgeon. Thankfully, Momo's owners did the latter.
Scruff rescue
When Carey arrived on the scene, it took him 15 minutes to get to Momo. He explained the dangers of rescuing Momo: "Every single time we went a little bit higher, it got more and more sketchy because these branches could break at any point." By the time he got close to the cat, Carey said, "He was very shaken, very nervous, meowing a lot and calling a lot. He was clamped to the tree. You’ve got to think, after that amount of time, he’s going to be dehydrated and hungry. His muscles must have been absolutely shattered." Despite being stuck for almost three days, Momo remained frightened and difficult to reach. It took Carey almost 20 minutes to get him to safety.
Carey explained the exact moment he caught hold of Momo: "As it [the branch] bent, the only option I had was to try and pull that branch back round. As I did, I had just enough reach to grab him. I literally scruffed him like their mum would and stuffed him in a bag." Carey explained that it may sound or look aggressive, but at that point, it was the only way to save Momo from tumbling down the tree. Thankfully, that did the trick, and Momo was safely lowered to his owners. On September 30, 2026, Carey shared another update. He said, "Momo is well. He’s eating, drinking, and I think he’s very happy to be home."
Returning home
Pets go missing all the time, but not all pets have the luck of coming home. A 2012 study by Emily Weiss found that dogs (93%) had a higher chance of being reunited with their owners compared to cats (75%). The study also found that cats were less likely than dogs to have identification. Another 2018 study on 1,210 cats by Liyan Huang found that 34% of missing cats were found by their owners within a week, while 61% were found within a year. Three-quarters of the cats that were found were located within 500 meters of where they went missing, with indoor-only cats generally found closer to home than cats with outdoor access. Fortunately for Momo, he was found after two weeks of being missing.
'Heart in my mouth'
Netizens congratulated Carey on saving the kitty from a 50-foot drop. @mrsdazo wrote, "I thought the cat was going to jump to the next tree just as you got there. Well done, amazing rescue." @honeybear2330 added, "I don’t know about anybody else, but who was holding their breath? Until he got him in that basket. I’m glad he’s all safe and well."
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