Cuddles for Tigger after 24-hour tree rescue

Former firefighter Jordan Bailey "bonded" with the cat he rescued

A cat owner has thanked a former firefighter who patiently rescued her pet from a tree in an operation lasting 24 hours.

Tigger, or Tig Tigs, a ginger mixed breed, found himself stuck in the top branches of a dead tree about half a mile from his home in Rochford, Essex.

Carer Emma Fisher, 45, said the three-year-old cat had been missing for almost a week before she was notified, by which time a small crowd had gathered under the tree.

"It was so sweet, it was like a military operation," she said.

Gas engineer Jordan Bailey, 31, who served as a firefighter for three years, said he often received calls about cats up trees, but was told not to take the risk.

"I've got 10 cats myself and I'm forever climbing trees to rescue them," he said.

Mr Bailey said he had been tagged several times in social media posts about Tigger's predicament.

Tigger had climbed to the highest branches before his rescue

Tigger was at the highest point of a dead tree, Mr Bailey said, "so climbing up that was pretty fun".

He and his helpers used a triple-extension ladder to get up the tree before attempting to catch Tigger in a net.

Witnesses believe the cat was up the tree from Sunday morning until Monday afternoon, meaning it could have even been there for "more than 32 hours".

Tigger the cat and Willow the Shih Tzu reunited after the ordeal

Ms Fisher said she was worried about the safety of her cat's rescuer.

"The tree kept cracking and all the branches were falling," she said.

She said Tigger must have trusted his rescuer because he was hugging Mr Bailey "like a koala bear" the whole way down the tree.

"He held on to him for dear life and I was laughing, everyone was filming it," she said.

"I was like 'so embarrassing'."

Ms Fisher said Willow, the family Shih Tzu, was crying and pacing in Tigger's week-long absence, but they had a cuddle upon his triumphant return.

She added that Mr Bailey has promised to visit, as the two had "bonded up the tree".

"I want to thank him from the bottom of my heart - for my daughter as well - if it wasn't for him we wouldn't have our baby home," she said.