ONE DAY WHILE I WAS CAT SITTING MY DAUGHTERS INDOOR FELINE, IT ESCAPED OUTSIDE. WHEN IT FAILED TO RETURN THE FOLLOWING MORNING, I FOUND THE BEAST CLINGING TO A BRANCH ABOUT 30 FEET UP IN A SPINDLY TREE. UNABLE TO LURE IT DOWN, I CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. “WE DON’T DO THAT ANYMORE,” THE WOMAN DISPATCHER SAID. WHEN I PERSISTED, SHE WAS POLITE BUT FIRM. “THE CAT WILL COME DOWN WHEN IT GETS HUNGRY ENOUGH.”; “HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?” I ASKED. “HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A CAT SKELETON IN A TREE?” SHE SAID. TWO HOURS LATER THE CAT WAS BACK, LOOKING FOR BREAKFAST.