A black Tuxedo cat spent two weeks stuck in a tree at Robert Urban Recreational Fields in Delaware County. Kids playing soccer on the nearby fields took note of the stuck feline.
"Everyone tried to get him down. I would go to the field every day before work to try," said Susan Raikowski who frequents the park to watch her grandson play soccer. "The police came out and a rescue, but it was the Garden City Fire House that got him down after two weeks."
Raikowski's grandson Luigi Malo, 11, plays on the 11 and under Nether Providence Broncos soccer team. The entire team grew fond of the cat.
"The cat inspired confidence in our team. We won some of our games while he was in the tree," said Malo. "When we looked up in the tree, he gave us confidence to play our best."
The soccer team decided to name him "Bronco" and make him the team mascot.
According to Raikowski, the fire department said the cat was originally at 25 feet, then climbed up to over 60 feet during the first attempts to get him down. The cat was nicknamed "climber" by the Delco SPCA for that reason.
After being rescued, the cat ended up at the no-kill shelter and was monitored for a week to give one paw time to heal. Justina Calgiano of the Delco SPCA said the adoption process is normally first come, first serve but that in this case the Raikowski family was the best fit.
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Today, he was adopted by the Raikowskis for $40 because of a 50 percent off Facebook special run by the shelter. The adoption cost included neuter, microchip and first veterinary visit.
"Once he gets used to everybody, we are going to put a leash on him and take him to a game as our mascot," said Malo.
