Neighbors and cat lovers in West Knoxville found their hero when Miles Mencer, owner of Mencer's Tree Service, rescued a black cat that was stuck in a tree for at least five days.
Animal lover Rachel Suvorov said the cat had been stuck in the tree for nearly a week now off 3910 Middlebrook Pike near the Reserve at Third Creek.
People tried to help it get down with various tactics, such as tempting it with tuna, putting down mattresses, and trying to reach it with a ladder -- but were unsuccessful until Mencer brought the cat down.
"We need someone to help get the cat down because it's cold and he's in distress," Suvorov said before it was rescued. "The poor thing doesn't have a tail, so I don't know what he's been through."
She and others planned to take the cat to Young-Williams Animal Center to see if it is micro-chipped.
"If someone could come get the poor cat out of the tree, we would really appreciate it. I don't want to see vultures circling the tree," she said.