Jack Shadbolt – the cat not the late painter – disappeared Sunday. He was out and he didn’t come back. We searched around the neighbourhood, calling him, but to no avail. I thought he was a goner for sure. Then today we heard him meow and followed the sound. The poor guy was way up a tree in a yard across the street….

I called 311 and they told me I had to call a private tree company to rescue him. OK. We got some guys to come out. They started by putting up a ladder. The ladder brought one guy very close to him, but the lad got scared and ran way further up the tree…..

So, one of the tree guys geared up with spikes and a safety rope and started up after him. The only problem was that as he got closer, little Jack climbed higher and higher until he was balancing on the smallest branches, which bobbed under his weight. Suddenly, little Jack was airborne. Fortunately there were several leafy branches to break his fall on the way down. He hit the ground running and disappeared into a yard across the way. I went around the corner to find him but no Jack. By the time I got back home though, he was already there, by the back door, frightened but walking around normally. We’ll watch him for a few days in case any injuries present themselves, but so far, it looks like he’s just spent a few of his 9 lives but is otherwise fine.