UPDATE: HE’S free! Boots the cat, fast becoming a local celebrity, has been rescued from a tree after a neighbour turned to crowdfunding to get him down.

media_camera Boots the cat waits to be rescued from this tree in Ferntree Gully. Picture: Supplied

Nigel Williamson, from Nigel’s Animal Rescue, successfully retrieved the stuck puss from the Ferntree Gully tree this morning after local Susie Butler set up a crowdfunding campaign to raise the funds to pay for the rescue mission.

Ms Butler said the rescue went well, even though Boots did put up some resistance.

“Boots didn’t want to go in the bag but Nigel managed to get him in!” she said.

“I never would have thought any of this would happen. (Boots) is definitely a celebrity.

“I am just so glad he is down and that Stephanie and her son have their cat back!”

EARLIER: THIS is not your average cat-stuck-up-a-tree story.

When Ferntree Gully woman Susie Butler found her neighbour’s cat, Boots, had escaped outside and up a 12m tree about 6am yesterday, she knew she had to help coax it down.

She said she had no luck with the fire brigade, council or RSPCA, so after Boots had been stuck for 12 hours, she called on the power of Facebook, and crowdfunding, to raise $205 to get an animal rescuer.

media_camera Susie Butler raised $205 on gofundme to get Boots out of a tree.

The target was reached in four hours, and even attracted a donation from the US.

Ms Butler enlisted the help of Nigel Williamson, from Nigel’s Animal Rescue, and he is due to rescue Boots this morning about 10am.

Pleading for people to donate to the gofundme online appeal, Ms Butler said she wanted to pay for the rescue herself “but we are a little down on our luck at the moment as is my neighbour”.

“My daughter is distressed (a lover of animals) as is the little boy who owns the cat.”

Mr Williamson said he had been rescuing cats for more than 30 years, but this was the first time people had crowdfunded for his services.

He said he knocked $20 off the price after hearing about the fundraising effort, and was confident he would be able to do the job.

“There’s never been a cat I haven’t been able to get down (from a tree),” Mr Williamson said.