A Louisiana cat is kicking off 2010 with all four feet on the ground, 
after having spent more than a week stranded atop a 75-foot tree, The (New 
Orleans) Times-Picayune reported.

Residents in the town of Slidell first noticed the cat in the boughs and 
tried to lure him from the tree, but to no avail. He'd been there at least 
eight days before Beau Gast, an investigator from the Humane Society of 
Louisiana, and Ron Hastings, owner of a local tree service, showed up to 
rescue the high-flying feline. After a 45-minute rescue operation, 
Hastings finally collected the frightened cat and lowered him to safety, 
The Times-Picayune reported.

The male cat, about 18 months old, was taken to Lakeshore Veterinary 
Hospital and Pet Lodge in nearby Mandeville. He was dehydrated and had 
some superficial wounds on his head and face, which looked to be about a 
week old, Lakeshore veterinarian Lee Capone told Paw Nation.

"My guess is he might have gotten into an incident. Maybe he was chased by 
dogs and ran up the tree," Capone said. 

Capone and his team treated and neutered the cat. "Today he's doing fine," 
Capone assured Paw Nation.

Lakeshore staff have dubbed the cat Whodat after the nickname used for New 
Orleans Saints fans, because Whodat's coat matches the gold-and-black 
coloring of the football team's uniforms.

Whodat is semi-feral, Capone said, and still wary of people. 
Unfortunately, he also tested positive for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus 
(FIV), but appears to be in good health. His FIV status will be a factor 
in getting him adopted; because the disease is contagious to other cats, 
he shouldn't be placed in a home with uninfected felines. Still, Capone 
said, his condition won't prevent him from being adopted -- or from 
potentially living a long and happy life.

"As far as I'm concerned, this cat made a very positive career move when 
he went up this tree. It's changed his life," he said. "I'm certain this 
cat will find a home."