LA utility criticized for how cat rescue turned out, worker dropped cat in front of onlookers

[Liberal_in_LA]

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is facing criticism after a video showed a worker dropping a cat from a crane bucket at a height of 15 to 20 feet.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-video-ladwp-drops-cat-20141120-story.html

The worker had just rescued the cat from high on a power pole in Sunland. Video shows the apparently long drop and the stunned reactions of onlookers. But was the cat really in danger?
KTLA-TV reported that the cat had been stuck on the pole for three days and that residents called the Los Angeles Fire Department and LADWP to get it down on Nov. 14. LADWP crews were on the scene by 3:30 p.m., said Michelle Figueroa, spokeswoman for the LADWP.

In the video, the worker takes the cat from the pole and then about halfway down drops the animal over the side. A woman standing by with a blanket is unable to catch the falling cat. KTLA reported that the drop was 15 to 20 feet.

"Sorry, but he was really clawing me up there," the worker says in the video, once the bucket is lowered.

-------

Herrera said that in the case of the pole cat, its energetic run following the fall was a good sign.

"Likely if there had been any significant injury, it wouldn't have skedaddled so quickly."

[ZombieHorde]

1. Sounds like they tried, but the cat wasn't having it.

Handling a strange animal when it's hungry and scared can be very difficult.

[exboyfil]

2. Reminds me of our large tom cat

We had him locked up in our downstairs basement bathroom as movers were moving us out. One of the movers used our bathroom and encountered our cat. The cat did not react favorably to the mover and terrified him. Not sure exactly what the cat did but he was always gentle to my family even our children - quite possibly the greatest cat ever and I miss him. The mover thought we had a wild animal in our bathroom though.

[angstlessk]

3. Had a cat named Maveric..my friend's cat's name was Suger Foot

You can guess the time..the late 50's early 60's?

Anyway we lived in a 2 bedroom apartment that had a square hallway with 4 doors..one each for the bedrooms, one for the bath, and one that shut off the living area (living room, dining room and kitchen)..so the square hallway, with all doors shut was a room unto itself.

I invited Sugar Foot to visit my home..We spent some time together, but somehow, Maveric showed up in the hallway as I was taking Sugar Foot out..perhaps I tried an introduction..I don't remember.

Maveric did NOT like Sugar Foot, and there we were, the three of us, trapped in the hallway, all doors closed..

I held tight to Sugar Foot, as he was my guest, and Maveric, though he was MY cat climbed up my body to get to Sugar Foot.

A horrific cat fight ensued ON MY BODY...somehow I managed to get Sugar Foot out of the house...I then ran to my neighbors house, convinced I was going to die, because my wrists were bleeding.

I had heard that one way to die was to cut your wrists..I was so convinced I was dying..my neighbor, though sympathetic to all my injuries laughed at the thought I would die because my wrists were bleeding...needless to say, I did not die..nor did I try to introduce other cats to my home ever again!

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. I've been between 2 cats that started fighting. It's not fun