South Jersey tree climber goes to great lengths to help cats stuck in trees

Some people will go to great heights to save animals.

Few go farther than Steven Murrow.

Murrow, owner of Tesla Tree Service in South Jersey in Pittman, received a call of a kitty in distress. It was about three years ago. Since friends knew he was handy at elevated heights thanks to his tree service, he got a call to help out.

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"I climb for tree removal, and I've always loved animals, so I heard about a cat stuck in a tree for five days and nobody would go and help," Murrow said in a telephone interview minutes after he rescued his latest cat. "Most people can't help in that situation, but I can. I jumped at the chance. 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."

The first rescue didn't prove to be one of the tougher ones.

"It was great. He was happy; he came right to me," Murrow said. "I talked to him for 10 minutes, I had to sweet talk him, but he came down 10 feet, he was up on the tip, I couldn't get to him. It would have broken with my weight. So he came to me, it really was a team effort."

That's not how all of them go.

Murrow is an expert, but still, the cats who are usually weary from being high up, are often not impressed when they see someone coming their way. Luckily Murrow doesn't offend easily, and he ignores the hisses and angry sounds.

"About half have not been happy or just panicking and scared because of the situation," Murrow said. "They're malnourished, sleep deprived. I have on gloves, a harness and a helmet. I have the protection to keep me safe. They're unable to bite or scratch, but they're scared. I get it."

Becoming a cat hero has become a great side aspect of Murrow's job.

He's a contract climber who sometimes works for homeowners. Other times, he's hired by tree companies to reach high elevations.

"I don't have a crew. It's just me," Murrow said. "I don't have big equipment, just me and my Tesla. I have the supplies to safely take down a tree. If a homeowner hires me, I don't have a chipper, so they'll keep the wood, they can use it for firewood. And other times I'll work with a tree service for high reach.

"I love climbing, and I do love saving cats. People tell me I should change my business to that, but the tree service pays the mortgage. I don't get paid for saving the cats."

Not in money, but he has gained a lot of love from the kitties he rescued, and he is also becoming well known among South Jersey animal rescues. They'll call him when a cat is stuck, and if he saves one, he knows he can count on them to help once the animal is back on the ground.

Winter is actually his busiest season because people are quicker to call to rescue a cat when the temperatures are colder. That's fine with Murrow. Just don't ask him to spend too much time with the cats he saves.

"I love cats, I just never had one because I'm allergic," Murrow said. "I love petting them and playing with them, but I puff up ad get itchy and hives. I still love them though."

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Tesla Tree Service owner saves cats while removing trees