See an Animal Stranded High Up on a Power Pole? Call Us!

My cat (or another animal) is stuck high on a power pole. Now what?

Never, ever attempt to climb the pole to reach the cat or attempt to lure the cat down by climbing the pole or using a ladder. Energized lines on a pole carry more than enough electricity to kill a person and the cat. Do not think you will avoid contact with electricity by only climbing part way or using something to coax the animal down. The ONLY person who should EVER go up a power pole under any circumstance is a trained lineworker.

Call Sangre de Cristo Electric’s dispatch, 1-844-395-2412 or 719-395-2412 to report the issue.

Dispatch will contact a line crew to respond to the situation. Once on scene, lineworkers will determine whether or not they can safely retrieve the cat. Lineworkers are highly-trained specialists who can assess the specific power configuration of the pole, which will be considered as part of a potential rescue plan.

The safety of our lineworkers is paramount in this situation. If a crew feels like they can safely retrieve the cat, they will. If they feel they cannot safely retrieve the cat, they will likely wait to take action.

Happily, the vast majority of cats on power poles make their way back down on their own without help or injury. Most of the time a cat has been chased up a pole by a predator or another cat. The cat on the pole is agitated or scared. Crowds may further upset the cat, causing it to climb higher and put itself in more danger. Giving the cat time to calm down makes it more likely it will come down safely on its own.

The difficulty for pet owners can be waiting for the cat to come down, which can take minutes to hours to days. Understandably, people who love their pets grow increasingly worried about their animal as time goes by, but patience and communication with SDCEA lineworkers is key to a good resolution to the issue.

Why can’t lineworkers just cut power to the pole, go up and get the cat?

Electrical lines are connected to other power lines. If one pole’s power is cut, it impacts other services on that line. Cutting power to one line can impact nine, 100 or maybe even thousands of other people, depending on its characteristics.

Because people rely on power for everything from completing an important application or project on their computer, to running a business or for the delivery of life-saving oxygen or other essential medical services, this is not a simple response to a problem.