The meowing came from 50 feet up: How a missing Kent cat named Momo finally got home

A cat who had been missing for more than two weeks turned up in an unlikely place: high in a sycamore tree in Kent, England. Momo then spent about three days stranded there before a tree surgeon brought him down safely, ending a search that had already involved other rescue efforts.

A long search ended with meowing in a tree

Momo had disappeared on Sept. 13. His family kept looking, and the breakthrough came when a neighbor heard meowing coming from a sycamore tree at Maidstone's Army barracks.

That discovery answered one question and created another. Momo was not just in the tree. He was about 50 to 55 feet above the ground, according to Connor Carey, the owner of Maidstone Tree Surgeons, who was eventually called in to help.

By the time Carey became involved, attempts to get the cat down had already run into problems. He said equipment at the barracks could not reach Momo. Kent Fire and Rescue Service had also attended.

The fire service said crews were sent at 1:20 p.m. on Sept. 26 and tried to use reach-and-rescue poles, but the cat climbed even higher. A spokesperson also said a height vehicle could not be used because of where the tree stood. After another assessment on Sept. 27, concerns were raised about the tree's structural stability.

Why the climb was so risky

Carey said the rescue was made more difficult by the kind of tree Momo had climbed. He described the sycamore as very brittle, with branches that could snap as both climber and cat moved farther out and higher up.

That was the main danger he focused on during the ascent. As he climbed, he said, each extra bit of height made the situation more uncertain because the limbs could give way.

Momo's condition added to the urgency. Carey said the family had thought of him as a fairly plump cat, but by the time he was reached he appeared slimmer. After roughly 72 hours in the tree, Carey believed he was likely dehydrated and exhausted.

The cat's behavior also showed the strain of the ordeal. Carey said Momo was badly shaken, very nervous, and meowing constantly when he finally got close enough to him.

How Momo came down, and what happened next

Carey said it took about 15 minutes to reach Momo and another 20 minutes to get him back down. To close the final gap, he moved out onto thinner limbs, used one branch to help steady the cat, and cut away smaller branches that were blocking access.

Once there was enough room, Carey secured Momo quickly. He said he grabbed the cat by the scruff, as a mother cat would, and put him into a bag so he could be brought down safely. He acknowledged that the method might sound harsh, but said acting quickly was the safest option once he was within reach.

Carey said his climbing decisions are shaped by about 13 years in tree surgery. Before leaving the ground, he plans the climb and checks for hazards including weak unions, cavities, and dead wood.

For Momo's family, the rescue ended a stressful stretch. Carey said the owner was overwhelmed and relieved to have the cat back, especially after fearing that Momo might simply fall.

Carey also said he charged for the rescue because it pulled him and his crew away from another job. He added that cat retrievals are now a formal service offered by his business.

The most important update came after the climb was over. Carey said Momo was doing well, eating and drinking, and appeared happy to be home. After a disappearance that lasted more than two weeks and a three-day stay high in a sycamore, that was the outcome his family had been waiting for.