Van Kingma, junior computer engineering major, stood helpless as he watched a black kitten being chased up a tree by two dogs. Kingma climbed the tree to get it down, but the scared kitten climbed higher to the point he could not reach it.
Kingma’s friend Cat Remington, junior graphic design major, called the Oktibbeha County Humane Society. The Humane Society referred Remington to a man named Robert Reese. 
Kingma doubted Reese’s ability to be more successful than he was in climbing the tree but as Reese pulled out his equipment, Kingma realized Reese knew what he was doing.
Remington said she was impressed by Reese.
“I did not know what to expect of a man who rescues kittens in his spare time, but he was so kind and extremely well-equipped,” Remington said. “He was also very professional and treated it like an actual job.
It took Reese about 30 minutes to rescue the shaking kitten from the tree. Everyone cheered when the kitten was safely removed from the tree. The lonely kitten was adopted by Remington and named Olive.
“It was so nice of him [Reese] to take time out of his day to rescue a random kitten,” Remington said. “Olive was a little traumatized by her fall, but she is doing great now.”
Robert Reese rescues cats from trees as a hobby. He is a Mississippi State University associate professor in the electrical and computer engineering department. 
Kingma said he was surprised the man he assisted in saving the kitten would be his professor in the spring.
“Honestly, I was kind of impressed that a university professor would take the time out to rescue kittens from trees,” Kingma said. “I think it will be cool to actually have him as a professor.”
A few years ago, one of Reese’s cats got stuck in a tree. Reese said this cat caused him to discover the subculture of people who rescued cats from trees. His cat later came down on its own but the situation piqued Reese’s interest in rescuing cats.
Reese, who has taught at MSU since 1988, said he bought gear, watched YouTube videos, and began rescuing cats. Reese said the gear needed for a treetop rescue includes a rope, saddle, a long net, a catch pole, and everything necessary to climb a tree safely.
Reese said he gets nervous while rescuing but his uncertainty does not stop him from saving a cat.
“I did not know what I was getting into and it was lucky that my early rescues were easy,” Reese said. “As I learned and got more adept at it and better at climbing, it seemed like the rescues got harder. I wasn’t too nervous at the beginning, but now, when I get a call, I actually do get nervous because I know everything that could go wrong.”
Reese has rescued 80 cats over the past three and a half years. He said he averages to one rescue a week. 
Reese said a rescue takes an average time of one hour with setting up his equipment being the most time consuming. His highest cat rescue was 90 feet high.
Reese said his craziest rescue was when he saved a coon dog from 30 feet up a tree. Reese was able to safely get the 30 pound dog out of the tree once he climbed above him and fastened a harness around him to lower him to the ground.
“The tree he ran up was leaning a little bit,” Reese said, “but it was still so steep I would have never said a coon dog could get up there.”
Every six months, Reese said he sends out flyers to humane societies, police departments and fire departments to let them know he provides the cat saving service. Reese said he does not ask for money and tells people who insist on paying him to donate the money to the Oktibbeha County Humane Society.
“I love cats and I love helping people,” Reese said. “It’s a very rewarding thing that once you help somebody, they’re very thankful and it’s a good feeling. It is also physically challenging to do. All those combinations makes it a fun things to do.”
This semester, Reese taught a first year experience course on treetop cat rescue. He had 23 students in his class learning to rescue cats from trees. 
Reese said all of his treetop rescues have been successful so far. There has not been an animal he has been unable to save. 
“I have not come across a cat yet that I could not rescue,” Reece said. “I have never given up on a cat, and I hope I never do.”
No animals have been injured during Reese’s rescue process. 
Reese said he and his wife have four cats at home. They do not keep any of the cats he rescues. 
Reese said 95 percent of the cats he rescues have owners. The 5 percent who do not are taken in or found another home by the people who contacted him.
“My wife and I have four cats right now, we’re on the edge of being crazy cat people,” Reese said, laughing. “Four is our max.”
Reese said he enjoys rescuing cats.
“It’s easy when it’s fun,” Reese said.
To find out more information about Reese’s rescue stories and in case of needing a cat rescued, visit his website www.kittytreerescuems.com.