El Paso Electric crews rescue cat from 40ft utility pole

It could be one of the oldest stories in the books.

Firefighters rescuing a cat stuck in a tree, but how often do you get to see it?

A viewer called ABC-7 about a cat stuck on a pole 40 feet high.

The effort to rescue the cat had it all. A kitten teetering on the brink of danger, suspense, concerned kids and a happy ending.

Wednesday might have seemed like a quiet evening on Windrock Street on El Paso’s east side, but residents heard some unfamiliar meows in the distance.

“At first, we thought it was coming from the dumpsters,” resident Vincent Valles said.

Valles said it didn’t take long before they realized the cat wasn’t hiding.

“We ended up looking up and sure enough it was up there about 40 feet,” Valles said.

The cat had been on the electricity pole for several hours.

“There’s parts he was just literally passing out and his paws were just dangling on the rope,” Valles said.

“Oh, poor kitty. I feel so bad for it,” said one young neighbor.

The neighborhood kids were quite concerned.

“I was so scared if it was going to jump off,” said a child watching the rescue attempt.

The El Paso Fire Department and Animal Services were on the scene but there was a problem.

They couldn’t climb the pole until El Paso Electric gave them the okay.

Soon enough, the utility’s crew arrived and spearheaded the rescue themselves.

“It was amazing seeing that. I’ve never seen someone climbing a pole that high with just a belt,” Valles said.

The kitten put up a fight, but it was eventually rescued and brought down safely.

“He’s safe and, hopefully, later on they can find a place for him so he won’t be in that situation again,” said a relieved child.

So what happened to the kitten? As soon as it got close enough to the ground he jumped out of the bag and left.