“Compassion for animals is intimately connected with the goodness of character.”
—Schopenhauer
A Story I shared with our granddaughters Lyla and Emmy who learned about National Superhero Day in Preschool:
It was 1:30 p.m. last Thursday. Cecile and I made plans to donate some items to Goodwill followed by a late lunch. We barely made it out of our garage when we heard the sounds of a cat crying in distress. We looked everywhere, no sign of a cat. I decided to look up, and there it was, a black cat lying on the base of the limbs of a tree about 25 feet high from the ground.
Our neighbor Lucy Vaganov’s daughter Ksenia (pronounced Sen ya, the K is silent) came out to assess the situation and with the spirit and confidence of a first responder went into action mode. She and her father Vladimir brought out an extension ladder from their garage. He and I secured the top section of the ladder in between two tree limbs.
Before the long climb up, Ksenia put on a back brace, and anchored herself to the tree with a yellow cord. This was just the beginning of what became a three-hour drama. Unsure whether Ksenia would succeed and concerned for her safety, Cecile continued to reach out for help, making about 20 calls to every conceivable organization related to animal care and safety including the Los Gatos Fire Department to no avail.
In the meantime, Ksenia tried to gently coax the black cat down. She understood the risks without any guarantee she would be successful. Fatigue began to set in. Nevertheless she persevered with the focus of an olympiad. On her third climb back up the tree, she carried a big basket with a handle and a little plastic bowl of food sitting inside of it.
I was holding a padded utility blanket to catch the cat if it fell. To our relief, Ksenia managed to grab the cat and place it in the basket. How she managed to hold the cat in the basket with one hand and climb down with the other is still a mystery. We all waited with bated breath for her to make her descent. As they say, the third time was a charm, and we all experienced a sigh of relief.
It took a lot of courage and determination to climb a huge tree to save a cat. This kind of act demonstrates not only a deep sense of compassion but also bravery in the face of physical risks. Climbing a tree can be challenging and dangerous, with the risk of falls and injury, especially without the proper equipment or training. It is a myth, that cats never get stuck in trees. Some do get stuck and they do die.
Ksenia showed a willingness to put the safety of another living being before her own. Her actions brought relief to the cat's owners—whom we discovered the day after— belonged to our neighbors Pam and Jim further down the cul-de-sac. Their cats’ name is Bob, and his rescue also brought warmth to the hearts of those of us who witnessed and assisted Ksenia in such a selfless act of kindness. Ksenia’s bravery also served as a source of inspiration, reminding us of the small acts of heroism that occur every day. As we showered her with praises she good-naturedly took a bow like a ballerina and smiled like a Cheshire Cat.
