Cat gets trapped in Bukit Merah tree for over 50 hours; owner spends $1,200 on rescue

A cat owner in Bukit Merah spent $1,200 to rescue her pet after it got stuck in a tree in the estate.

The pet owner, 50-year-old Hairanee Md Bidin, shared in a Facebook post last Friday (Feb 6) seeking help to rescue Putih after the feline escaped from their home several days earlier. 

In a separate post on Saturday (Feb 7), the owner said the cat was just over a year old and was adopted in May 2025 after it was abandoned. 

"I was stressed and very worried about Putih's situation. It was scary, we thought she might even fall off the tree," she said. 

In another post on Sunday (Feb 8), the owner updated that Putih was finally rescued after more than 50 hours via a cherry picker with the help of JK Wildlife Pte Ltd, a wildlife rescue service. 

Putih went missing on Feb 2 and was seen by her mother on Friday, Hairanee told AsiaOne, but two boys chased the cat, which then fled up a tree opposite her house.

The family then sought help from St Theresa Church staff members but their attempts to get Putih down only made the cat climb even higher. 

According to Hairanee, Putih was trapped at a height of about 12 metres, and neighbours saw and heard the cat crying.

In her Saturday post, Hairanee said she asked various agencies for help between 3pm and 10pm, including the police, Singapore Civil Defence Force, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Animal and Veterinary Service under NParks, as well as tree climbers and commercial cherry picker services. 

"Unfortunately, we were informed that assistance could not be rendered as Putih is a house pet," she said. 

Hairanee told AsiaOne that her friend Ginny then contacted JK Wildlife, who told her that a cherry picker was needed to get the cat down. JK Wildlife roped in BS Construction Service, a construction company, but it was only available on Sunday. 

Putih had been trapped in the tree since Friday and was finally rescued at around 5pm on Sunday. 

Hairanee said she paid $150 for the assignment, $450 to JK Wildlife for the successful rescue and $600 to the construction company, amounting to a total of $1,200.  

Following the incident, Hairanee said that Putih is doing well, eating and drinking well, and sleeping more. She added that she would also be taking Putih for a medical check. 

In response to AsiaOne's queries, SPCA Singapore said they received a call on Feb 7 and that frontline officers recommended seeking help from NParks or a private rescue company as it "did not have the requisite equipment or expertise to perform rescues safely at such heights". 

While it endeavours to attend to as many animals as possible, SPCA Singapore said: "If the rescue requirements exceed the limits of what our equipment or officers can safely execute, we will suggest alternatives such as referring the caller to another agency.

"This is because attempting a rescue in spite of the known risks could endanger the officer, the animal, and even members of the public."

It added that, in cases of cats stranded high up on trees, members of the public can contact NParks or a private rescue company with the ability and tools to assist with the rescue.

According to the National Parks Board website, pets are under the care of their owners and responsible pet ownership includes ensuring that pets are kept in a safe environment with reasonable steps to protect them from hazards. 

Owners are encouraged to contact private contractors for help if their pet has been stuck for several hours, the weather turns severe or if multiple self-help attempts have failed.

@asiaone The one-year-old cat was adopted in May 2025 after it was abandoned. It had gone missing a few days earlier before being found trapped in a tree by the owner's mother. #sgnews #Singapore #Animals #Rescue #Cat ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

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esther.lam@asiaone.com