Fla. Crew Gets Surprise After Responding to Cat Call

April 30, 2012
The cat was perched atop of a light pole with its head stuck in a Doritos bag.

While calls for cats stuck in trees and other high-up places can be a nuisance for some departments -- Tampa Fire Rescue refused to respond to one earlier this month -- St. Petersburg firefighters readily respond to them and got a surprise during a call for a cat on top of a light pole last week.

The cat had its head stuck in a Doritos bag as it was perched atop the pole near the intersection of 15 Avenue South and 23rd Street on April 24, according to The Tampa Bay Times.

Lt. Ron Kidwell and rookie Firefighter Kelly Blake used an aerial ladder to reach the animal.

"That cat was just shaking," Kidwell told the newspaper. "It had no idea what was going on."

Blake reached for the cat, but as it began to squirm, the bag flew off its head and the animal fell about 20 feet to the ground.

As cats do, it landed on its feet and it was fine.

The department gets about one or two cats calls a month, but Kidwell said he's never seen one with something on its head.

Voice Your Opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Firehouse, create an account today!