On February 19, Lisa Stults, founder of Seymour-based non-profit Cattitude Inc. Animal Rescue, received an urgent message via the organization’s website from Jenny Abee of SpringHill Camps. A cat had been stranded 50 feet up a tree for two days in the area.
After hearing about the situation, Stults reached out to multiple tree services to find help. Eventually, she connected with Dustin Sanders, owner of S&S Sidework in Butlerville, who agreed to make the hour-long drive to rescue the cat.
Sanders explained his decision to help by sharing his love for animals and his own cherished pets.
The rescue took nearly two and a half hours, concluding around 4 p.m. that day. Throughout the process, Stults anxiously watched, praying that the cat would descend safely without being frightened by the loud equipment.
“It was the most beautiful scene I’d ever seen in my life, just to watch the whole thing,” Stults shared. “She kind of crawled to him like she wanted to get out… I’ve never been involved in anything like that before; it felt like a miracle.”
Sanders successfully brought the cat down safely. After a check-up, Stults reported that the cat showed no signs of frostbite or any other severe injuries. This was especially remarkable considering the cat had been trapped during an ice storm, with temperatures around 19 degrees the day of the rescue and 12 degrees the previous day.
Stults mentioned the cat was showing signs of food aggression, a common behavior for animals in distress or similar situations.
“She’s a really healthy girl and she’s ready for adoption,” Stults said.
Cattitude Inc. was founded over three years ago by Stults with the goal of offering homeless and abandoned animals a better life—providing love, shelter, food, and comfort. To date, the non-profit has rescued and rehomed over 500 cats in the county, with around 75% of those being feral.
Cats rescued by Cattitude are domesticated, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and tested before being rehomed.
The idea for Cattitude started one day when Stults and her daughter went to Big Lots to purchase a mattress and discovered 12 cats behind the store.
“I just kind of started from there, and I couldn’t stop,” she recalled. “It wasn’t planned; there was just so much to do and so many animals in need.”
Stults also drew inspiration from Janet Gorrell of Johnson County, especially her work with feral cats.
“The ferals were my priority because they’re often overlooked,” Stults explained. “Unfortunately, many feral cats are euthanized because they aren’t tamed or domesticated.”
Stults has big plans for Cattitude Inc. and hopes to expand the rescue’s reach to help as many animals as possible.
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