Tree Climber Saves Frightened Felines from Catastrophe

Steven Murrow loves cats. He really, really loves them. So much, in fact, that he’ll scale some of the tallest trees in his New Jersey service area to retrieve felines who’ve gotten stuck. He performs this act of kindness free of charge, and, perhaps stunningly, despite the hindrance of being allergic to them. 

"Most people can't help in that situation, but I can,” the tree service technician told the Asbury Park Press. “I've always been an animal and people lover, and kindness is contagious. I try to do things like that, hopefully someone else will repay the favor."

Since January 2023, Murrow has rescued 45 cats, stated People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). The group gave him a Compassionate Action Award late last month. Murrow has performed roughly 100 kitty rescues in the past three years. 

“Thanks to Steven Murrow’s kindness and skill, dozens of cats have been saved from terrifying and potentially fatal ordeals,” PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said in a press statement.

Murrow, who owns Tesla Tree Service — which is named after the car he lugs his climbing gear and solar-powered chainsaws in  — records some of his rescues and posts them on Facebook.

“Ah, hey, buddy. Yeah, what are you doing up there? It’s snowing, I’ll get ya,” Murrow says to a kitty named Shadow, who’s captured in the video peering out of a tree hole. “What are you doing? Come on out, bud — come on out of that tree, you’re not a squirrel, you can’t live in there.” 

After some time Shadow comes out and Murrow brings her down in a pouch.

Categorically heroic.  

Photo courtesy Ilmari Karonen on Wikimedia Commons.

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