A Pacific Gas & Electric Co. crew rescued this cat from a power pole in Martell Thursday morning. The cat had reportedly been stranded for as many as four days when Animal Control Director John Vail contacted PG&E. The cat, believed to have owners, is now at the animal shelter in Martell.

A brief, deliberate power outage on Thursday morning momentarily stopped power to 1,700 Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customers in the Martell/Jackson area, so that crews could safely remove a cat that had been stuck on top of a power pole near Amador Ridge and the Meeks Lumber & Hardware building for reportedly as long as four days.

"Both us and PG&E received calls about the cat, but we didn't know that PG&E had been contacted and vice versa," said Animal Control Director John Vail. "We went and looked at the situation and there he was, a cat on all four feet atop the power pole, not on the wires, but the pole itself."

Vail said he then contacted PG&E about a rescue attempt, but was told at the time that they were unsure if a crew could respond due to a funeral for a co-worker, who was killed during the January storms, scheduled for that day. Vail said that within a few minutes, PG&E called back saying there was a crew at the location and requesting Animal Control to take custody of the cat.

"They used a cherry picker and the cat came right to the employee," Vail said. "He is a very nice cat and he definitely belongs to someone."

PG&E spokeswoman Nicole Tam confirmed the power outage was for the safety of the rescue team.

Vail said he was impressed by the professionalism the crew showed in the rescue and the concern they showed for everyone's safety. "They had even us stand back five feet from the truck," he said. "If the cat had jumped the wrong way on the lines, it could have been disastrous."

The cat is currently at the animal shelter in Martell and, although he is wearing a collar, no name tag or microchip was found. "He is full grown and neutered and we hope his owners come to the shelter to claim him," Vail said.

The shelter treated an infection to the cat's tail. Other than an understandable appetite, the cat is doing well.