RATHDRUM — For four days, Twin Lakes Elementary School students and neighbors were looking up with concern.

Cinder, a juvenile feline, had climbed far into a treetop on the other side of the school's fence and he just couldn't find his way down.

"The first day he was about 60 feet up," said Twin Lakes mom Kate Reese, who lives a block away from the school next door to Cinder and his owners. "The second day he had climbed to the very top and we thought, 'Cat, you're going the wrong way!'"

Principal Patty Morrison said Cinder was a popular topic among the students. On their way to and from school, many of them would call to Cinder and try to coax him down. They checked on him during recess and were sincerely worried that he was stuck.

"All the kids have been talking about this cat. It’s been quite the story around here," Morrison said. "One of my aides is such an animal lover. She put a can of tuna fish at the bottom of the tree in case the cat came down for it. It's been neat to see the compassion."

On Wednesday, Reese decided to make some phone calls.

"I woke up this morning and thought, 'I have to get this cat down,'" she said.

Because he was so high up, it was difficult to find a tall enough ladder. Reese said the fire department even came out to take a look but their ladder wouldn't reach.

But one local tree company went out on a limb to assist.

"I found our heroes at Grace Tree Service," Reese said.

During the brave rescue, crew foreman and retired police officer Chris Gordon climbed the tall pine. He couldn't quite reach Cinder he called to him and enticed him with food.

"I had leftover Thanksgiving turkey in my pocket that my wife gave me because she knew I was going on a cat rescue," Gordon said. "He was pretty happy to see a human that close and have some food."

Gordon said he was expecting a fight, but Cinder was compliant and easily let him place him in a bag to carry him to safety.

"It was nice to be able to make some folks happy," Gordon said. "It feels good to have some kids happy and have the cat and its owners reunited."

One third-grade class got to witness the excitement.

"He yelled down, 'I got him!'" Reese said. "To hear them all cheer at the end, it just melts your heart. And to see a guy from the community who expected nothing — he wouldn't let us pay him or anything — he just went up there and did it. That's what community is about. It’s amazing."

Cinder is warm at home now. His owner, Kim Roth, said it's not the first time he's climbed a tree; he is extremely curious and could have been chasing a squirrel. She knows he wasn't just hanging out in the tree for fun.

"He was up there for four nights with no food and water," Roth said. "I think the novelty of ‘just chilling’ would have worn off."

She said she is really grateful to everyone who got involved.

"The school was concerned and involved, our neighbor was fantastic and it was so generous for Chris to come over and be the hero for the day,” Roth said. "We were so happy that somebody could come get him down."