Ivy the cat missing following Monday evening rescue attempt

A domestic shorthaired rescue cat named Ivy, who was perched in a tree in a Pond Mills neighbourhood for the past four days and had residents concerned for her welfare, is missing Monday evening following a rescue attempt.

After several attempts by the owner and concerned neighbours to have someone rescue the kitten, an arborist came with animal control just after 6 p.m. on Monday.

During the rescue attempt, the cat leapt from the tree, fell to the ground and ran off, before jumping over a fence in the area of Pond Mills Road and Commissioners Road East. 

Since the rescue attempt, owners and neighbours have been conducting a ground search.

At the time of publication, Ivy has not been located.

Ivy the cat first got stuck in a tree late last week, raising concerns among neighbours. 

“She ran out the house and the owner tried to chase after her, and that’s when she ran up this tree up here, and ever since Friday at 12 o’clock, and has been up there with no food or water and she hasn’t been able to come back down,” explained concerned neighbour Evelyna Thomson.

Ivy the cat is seen stuck atop a tree in London, Ont.'s Pond Mills neighbourhood on March 4, 2024. (Reta Ismail/CTV News London)

The owner had contacted several arborists, animal control and the London Fire Department, but after assessing the situation they determined they couldn't do anything.

“The tree obviously and the cat is quite a ways off the roadway, making it very difficult for us to access with our aerial ladders or ground ladders being as the cat is so high up in the tree," explained LFD Platoon Chief, Gary Mosburger.

CTV News London spoke with a veterinarian on Monday who expressed concern for the animal's health, specifically the risk of dehydration and risk of organ failure. 

“We need help, this cat needs to come down — it's getting serious — this cat is endangering itself, and its way too scared, it’s still a kitten, it's not fair we put this stress on a kitten when it doesn't know what to do,” said neighbour Luna Rochon-Carpio.

“Our advice always when we get these calls on a frequent basis is to put food at the bottom of the tree and be patient, allow the cat come down on its own time,” added Mosburger.

Prior to Ivy's rescue attempt, Mosburger had warned against residents attempting to rescue Ivy on their own due to the deterioration of trees in the area, namely decomposing branches.