Cat On The Roof* -- Fire Brigade To The Rescue ! (Animal Story 17)
By M.-L.
@MALUSE (69409)
Germany
October 12, 2020 2:13pm CST
I live on the top floor of a three-storey town house. I have two cats, brother and sister. The breed is British Shorthair. They're noble and have a pedigree going back to Noah's Ark.
The flat has a balcony which is in the middle of the front of the house and from which they can hop into the rain gutter on either side and walk round the house. They often just lie in it and watch the goings-on in the street.
The bathroom is on the other side of the house. It has two narrow windows facing the garden at the back of the house. I only open one window because the other is difficult to get at. The cats also enjoy lying on the window sill there watching the swaying of the branches of a sequoia tree.
One week ago I noticed that both cats tried to find room on the tiny jutting window sill. I felt pity with them and squeezed between the wash basin and the other window and opened it for them so that they would each have a window sill to lie on.
What I didn't think of and couldn't see from inside the bathroom, either, is that the roof covering the balcony of the flat below is reachable for a sportive cat. It didn't take long and the female cat jumped there. It soon realised that it couldn‘t move anywhere as the rain gutter is not connected to the ones beside the balcony on the other side of the house. It was also incapable of getting back to the window of the bathroom from where it had jumped.
The piteous miaowing was hard to endure. I found a blanket, rolled it into a tight 'sausage' and threw it onto the roof where the cat was sitting but I didn't reach it.
So I called the fire brigade! They came in no time because the depot is not far from our house. The ladder was moved along one side of the house and then to the right. The fireman at the top had taken a cat basket with him. He had no problems taking the cat with his hands. It did not object to being rescued. It was obviously tired of the adventure.
Sadly, a cat is not intelligent enough to learn anything from such an occurrence. Should the opportunity come again, it would do the exact same thing. It's me who has learnt something, namely, never to open the second window again.
The letter I got today with the Kostenersatzbescheid (a nice German word with 20 letters!) meaning 'notice of reimbursement' tells me that I have to pay 262 Euro. (~310 USD).
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* The roof is not covered with tin and it wasn‘t hot. First prize for the member who guesses why I am mentioning this.
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If you're interested in more animal stories, click on the green box above the title.
12 people like this
11 responses
@MALUSE (69409)
• Germany
12 Oct 20
I asked a man from the fire brigade if it happened often that they had to rescue a cat. He said that it happened occasionally. If the fire brigade hadn't come with their long ladder, the cat would have ended its life in the rain pipe because there was no other way to get to it and the cat couldn't get out of its own.
The cost was indeed a shock.
I don't know why you thought it is a joke that the fire brigade does things like that. Some years ago a man in the house opposite ours had a stroke and had to be taken to hospital. Yet, the paramedics couldn't carry him down two flights of stairs. The staircase of the house is too narrow for a stretcher and two men carrying it.
So the fire brigade was called which came with a special contraption which was put in front of a window of his flat and he slid down it outside of the house. A thing like that is also used to evacuate people from airplanes and ships.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (215847)
• Chile
12 Oct 20
I get first prize. 
In fact I felt the name was lacking part of the words. Going to see the play "The cat on a hot tin roof " would not cost you as much as your cat did. Naughty noble cat!
In fact I felt the name was lacking part of the words. Going to see the play "The cat on a hot tin roof " would not cost you as much as your cat did. Naughty noble cat!3 people like this
@marguicha (215847)
• Chile
12 Oct 20
@MALUSE Lori wasn´t even alive when I read the play. And others by Tennessee Williams too. But I´m not fond of prizes any longer. I´m too old.
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69409)
• Germany
12 Oct 20
I'm really sorry, but @LoriAMoore answered two minutes earlier than you. You get an *Honourable Mention* because you don't live in the USA yet know the American literature well. 
Btw, I doubt that the play is still performed. I haven't seen the name Tennessee Williams for a long time. Seems that he isn't en vogue anymore.
Btw, I doubt that the play is still performed. I haven't seen the name Tennessee Williams for a long time. Seems that he isn't en vogue anymore.3 people like this
@stringer321 (5643)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
15 Oct 20
What did the fire brigade do for you ? Did you have a cat on your roof too ? 0.o
1 person likes this
@stringer321 (5643)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
15 Oct 20
@LadyDuck Aww, I hope the hornets didn't sting anyone. I once got stung by a wasp on the forehead, there was a hole in the door I needed to open the door. The door was hollowed, and a hornets nest was inside. I ran to the paramedics and showed them, they told me to put some ice on it. Just an army adventure.
@LadyDuck (459223)
• Switzerland
15 Oct 20
@stringer321 NO, I had a large hornet nest under the roof been near the bathroom window. They came with the right equipment to kill the hornets and remove the nest. They did a good job.
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (49133)
• United States
13 Oct 20
That is an outrageous fee. I have never heard of the fire department rescuing animals and there being a fee. It should have been a Good Samaritan act.
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (49133)
• United States
13 Oct 20
@MALUSE our fire department does these sorts of things for free.
@MALUSE (69409)
• Germany
13 Oct 20
The fire engines and the equipment of the fire brigade cost money. I have nothing against paying for the rescue of the cat but not such a big sum.
Who would you turn to if your cat were sitting in the rain pipe 15 m (16,4 yards) above ground and you couldn't reach it? Who would do it for free in your town?
2 people like this
@MALUSE (69409)
• Germany
27 Mar 21
@JudyEv Thank you for your friendly words. Not living in an English speaking country I can know colloquialisms only if I find them somewhere in a text. I'm ready to swear that I saw the one in question the first time ever in the text you wrote.
As to men carrying their wallets in their hip pockets. I know this idiotic habit. I wouldn't feel the slightest inkling of sympathy if a pickpocket stole a wallet sticking out from a hip pocket. It seems to shout, "Steal me! My owner is too stupid to realise just how stupid he is."
Once, I told a young man that if I were a pickpocket, I could have stolen his wallet without him realising it. He only laughed and told me not to worry, he would certainly notice it when someone was trying to do so. He clearly hadn't had any contact yet with a master pickpocket. After his silly reply I secretly wished him to make such an experience!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326155)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Mar 21
@MALUSE I'm really surprised as your English is so good and you do seem to know many of our colloquialisms. Mostly, people (men) keep their wallets in their hip pocket (or used to) so 'hitting you in your hip pocket' meant whatever it was would cost you money.
@LindaOHio (157243)
• United States
13 Oct 20
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, of course! :-) Such a wild time! I'm glad that the fire brigade was able to help; but sorry you had to pay for the service!
2 people like this
@LindaOHio (157243)
• United States
13 Oct 20
@MALUSE I'm not sure. I know they can charge for ambulance service if you are out of the district.
1 person likes this
@stringer321 (5643)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
12 Oct 20
I cannot imagine why to cover a roof with a tin. Maybe you wanted cats to be able to climb on the roof in the future.
I heard the Sequoia trees auto very high. I wish I was a cat so I can climb one.
Why did the fire fighters charge such a high price?
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69409)
• Germany
12 Oct 20
Why the high price? Search me! I can be sure that they follow the rules and won't have a party with my money. I got a bill and have to send the money to the bank account of the town council.
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'The cat on the hot tin roof' is the title of a play which was made into a film many years ago. I don't remember the meaning of the title but I remember that it is not to be taken literally.
The Sequoia tree is only about 30 years old but already higher than our three-storey house. In the USA Sequoia trees are gigantic.
3 people like this
@stringer321 (5643)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
12 Oct 20
@MALUSE The Aristocats movie title was somehow translated to hebrew as Hatulim ba Tsameret (cats at the top). I don't know why.
I think the fire brigade has to be more transparent about their services and prices.
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69409)
• Germany
12 Oct 20
@stringer321 I did get a bill in which the different items are listed. Yet, as the rescuing of the cat was a first for me and I don't know anyone who has made the same experience, I have nothing to compare the prices with.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73751)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
27 Mar 21
Glad that the cat was rescued but sorry you had to pay such a big price,
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73751)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
27 Mar 21
@MALUSE that got me curious about the US and always hearing about cats being rescued from trees and found that in this case being paid for doing their job any way they will rescue kitty for free, Which is understandable but I guess that doesn't happen in every country..
@lovebuglena (43081)
• Staten Island, New York
13 Oct 20
That's very expensive but the important thing is that you got your cat back.
