NJ Boy Rescued From Tree After Climbing It To Help Cat

HACKENSACK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A New Jersey boy tried to rescue his family's kitten from a tree Friday morning, but then needed to be rescued himself.

After 10-year-old Aashir Alauddin spotted the cat, Alley, in a tree outside his home in Hackensack, he stepped onto a high chair and climbed about 18 feet to reach the 2-month-old pet, CBS2's Jessica Borg reported.

The tree is about 35 feet high, and it was pouring rain.

"It was kind of scary," Aashir's sister said.

"He got the cat and couldn't get down, so I was telling him, 'Put the cat inside your shirt and come down,'" said Aashir's mother, Linnette Wheeler. "But he was like, his shoe was going to slip, so I immediately called the Fire Department."

And crews came to help.

A photo taken by John Ingallinera, deputy chief of Hackensack Fire Department Engine 2, shows the ladder propped up against the house and Aashir's feet in white sneakers resting on the thin branches.

Firefighters receiving a call about a cat in a tree is nothing new. This time, however, it was a child chasing a cat up a tree.

"Very unusual," Ingallinera said. "We rarely will get a call like this."

Aashir was stuck for about 20 minutes.

Experts advise leaving the rescues to the cats themselves. They will eventually jump down on their own, they say.

Aashir's mother said if he chases the cat up the tree again, she might have it cut down -- something she doesn't want to do.