By Mary Ellen Zangara, Special Writer
As the saying on the front of Manville Fire Company No. 1’s Ladder 42 truck says “Nothing Beyond Our Reach” and on Saturday, the firefighters lived up to their motto.
Members of the fire department were called out and came to the rescue of a cat stuck in a tree.
”A cat was stuck up here in a tree for three days and no one could get it down so they called the fire department,” Chief Jim Monto said. “We came down with the ladder truck and with the ground ladder and we were able to get the cat to come down.”
But it did take a while for hours, residents watched as the kitten that had climbed up tree on property behind the Chester House Bar sat high up on the tree branches, mewing for help. When one resident tried to climb up and rescue it, the kitten meowed and climbed up to higher branches.
Finally, it was time to call the professionals.
The fire department responded with the ladder truck, parking it by the Chester House and raising the ladder up to the tree. As firefighters were raised in the bucket to the tree, the kitten got spooked and ran higher and higher into the tall tree.
Deciding that this was not going to work because of the position and location of the truck, Chief Monto decided to move it to the Manville Post Office parking lot. By backing the truck in, the ladder could reach over the fence and approach the tree from the opposite direction.
By the time the truck was moved and set up, it was starting to get dark, making it harder for the firefighters to locate the kitten. A few times, the kitten sat up above in a hole in the tree and just peek out at the goings on below.
With the darkness, flashlights were now being used by the rescuers and some people on the ground. Chief Monto went up on a regular ladder and firemen Tony Toporowski and Jason Zangara went in the ladder truck’s bucket to try to get the kitten.
On the ground, a small group of residents shone their flashlights on the branches to locate the kitten, and when the young kitten was located, she decided to jump down almost flying to the ground. All those under the tree were afraid that the kitten injured herself and would not make it, but she got up and ran as people gathered to grab her.
The kitten was caught and put into a box.
The kitten was scared and spitting blood on Robyn Barb, who held the kitten before placing her in the box, so she, Rebecca Burke and Ella Toporowski all members of the Manville First Aid and Rescue Squad took the kitten to Animerge for treatment.
”The kitten was taken to the vet for observation so it is all good,” said Chief Monto.
A technician at Animerg adopted the kitten and reported the kitten is doing well, although she still has a slight bloody nose.

