Cat up a power pole has Princeton residents concerned

Social media has exploded Thursday morning as people from all over the region work to rescue a cat stuck atop a power pole in Princeton.

According to Natalia Bosley, she has tried to contact both FortisBC and BC Hydro to report the issue, but has not been able to resolve the problem. The cat, said to be stuck up the power pole for four days looks sick and Bosley is very concerned for its wellbeing.

“I phoned FortisBC about it and they informed me it was a BC Hydro pole,” said Bosley. “I phoned BC Hydro and they said that they had put in a work order to have it dealt with. Last night BC Hydro told the owner that they decided not to respond to the call.”

According to FortisBC spokesperson Michael Allison, they are aware of the problem and working on a solution to bring the cat down from the pole.

“Typically in these situations the safest course of action is to wait for the cat to come down from the pole, at this time we looking into to see what we can do as soon as possible,” explained Allison.

Bosley says the cat has been up the pole for four days, but Allison says he was only notified about the situation on Wednesday. He goes on to say that while people have informed FortisBC that the situation is in Princeton, an exact address has not been passed along.

But Bosley says people have told the power company the exact location, 219 Bonlin Road pole 536. The reason for the miscommunication is unknown, but for now, the focus is on rescuing the cat and ensuring it is healthy and safe.

Allison says once crews locate the cat they will be able to assess the situation and decide the next step, be it de-energize the line or try to coax it down. FortisBC says it will keep KelownaNow updated on the situation once a plan is in place.