Fenton Man Rescues Kitten from 85-Foot Tall Tree

Eric Bagalay isn’t particularly fond of cats. In fact, the Fenton resident is highly allergic to them, but that didn’t stop him from climbing nearly 100 feet up a tree to save one earlier this week.

Bagalay received a call from family friend Linda Orofino, who lives on a horse farm in Fowlerville. Orofino had heard a meow from her 7-month-old kitten, Turbo, and looked up to find he had started climbing the tree on Saturday. She thought he would eventually come down as she started feeding the three other cats she rescued and gave a home to. As much as she tried to coax him down, it seemed Turbo could only figure out how to go up.

The kitten climbed higher and higher in the tree until Orofino really started to worry on Sunday.

“I said I can’t leave him up there any longer,” Orofino said. “He’ll get dehydrated and weak and eventually fall.”

She called 911, which directed her to the Fowlerville Fire Department. She said firefighters told her they would be unable to get their truck onto her property without sinking.

“They said, ‘Here’s your choice, we can spray him down with the hose and hope he survives the fall,’” Orofino said. “I said no way.”

Orofino said she began to panic a little bit, but then got ahold of Bagalay, who cuts down tree limbs for his job with DTE Energy. He came over, but Orofino then began to worry about the thin branches on the tree and Bagalay’s safety if he were to climb.

“She began crying and wasn’t going to let me go up,” Bagalay said. “I told her there was no way that cat was coming down unless someone goes up and gets it.”

Bagalay began climbing, while Orofino, still in tears, went into the barn because she couldn’t bear to watch.

“When most people say a 100-foot tall tree, it’s not even close. Not many trees are that tall,” Bagalay said. “I was surprised. This one was about 85-feet tall.”

Bagalay finally got high enough to get near the cat, which slowly crawled to him and then latched on. He put the cat in a bag and attached it to his belt as he lowered himself down the tree. Orofino didn’t have the nerve to come out of the barn until Bagalay’s feet were safely on the ground. Only later did she watch the video of the rescue.

When Eric did return to the ground he discovered many scratches from the cat latching on to him, and also his eyes became bloodshot and began to swell from his allergy.

“He’s an absolute angel. A hero in my eyes,” Orofino said. “I can’t express how thankful I am. I love that man for saving my cat.”

Orofino believes a dog or coyote might have scared Turbo into the tree. She said he has stuck near her side since the incident.

“He doesn’t go anywhere,” she said. “He stays close. He’s a good cat.”

This is not the first time Bagalay has been considered a cat rescuer. A couple of years ago he saved a cat in Walled Lake that climbed a tree after being sprayed by a skunk.

“It’s not something I do every day,” a modest Bagalay said. “But I was glad to help out.”