Saving a Cisco Cat

What’s a day in the life of a Cisco Cat Club member?  Well, you’re about to find out.

This Friday was supposed to be a slow Friday. It started out like I intended – with a good morning workout (at the fabulous Cisco LifeConnections fitness center, of course!) and a cup of coffee from the Cisco Café.  From there, I was off to answer emails and wrap up my projects for the week.  The first email changed all of that!

When I opened my inbox I saw an urgent message from the Cisco Cat Club alias.

One of the members, Cora, reported that a cat was stuck in a tree right outside the building I was in. I dropped everything to see for myself.  And there it was, a fluffy little ball of fur – a kitty named “Spotty” was perched in a tree approximately 50 feet in the air, crying out for help, and clearly in distress.

The cat lover side of me went into crazy cat lady panic mode.  Fortunately, the Cisco project manager side of me went into problem solving mode!  Spotty needed to be saved, and I was going to do my best to help her. I called Cisco Security and found out that many fellow Cisconians had also reported Spotty’s dire situation.

Cisco Security did not have the equipment to rescue him, however.  Luckily, when Cisconians ban together – anything is possible, and that is where this tale is headed!

Enter the Cisco Cat Club and Community! They immediately sprang into action offering suggestions for help. After several emails, one of the members, Erika, contacted Cisco facilities and they suggested that Cisco’s landscapers could help since they have the proper equipment.

Soon after, they showed up with their truck with the long arm and cab. As they were starting to get close to Spotty kitty, it panicked and starting wiggling down the tree.  A group of us were worried that the cat would jump, so another employee, Nhan, took off his shirt and we wrapped it around the tree to catch Spotty in case she fell.  Then the landscaper gave us an even larger sheet to ensure we covered more ground.

Finally! Spotty kitty got herself down the tree, and ran off…scared, but safe.

This is just one example of how the Cisco community and “Cat Club” regularly come together to care for the feral cats on the Cisco San Jose campus.  I joined this group just over a year ago after reading about them on this blog.  I reached out and their awesome Chief Cat Club Coordinator, Jennifer Hull gave me a tour and I signed up to care for the cats at Building 12 and 17.

Every Wednesday morning, I give them food and water, and a once-over to make sure they look OK.  It is truly one of the highlights of my week and makes me feel proud to work at Cisco.

On a regular basis, this dedicated group of Cisconians cares for all the known feral cats and kittens on Cisco’s massive San Jose campus. In fact, just as I am writing this blog, the community is trying to save a Mama cat and her newborn kittens.

Cisco has always been known for giving back, and this group is living proof of that. #WeAreCisco #LoveWhereYouWork.

Are you looking for a company that shares your soft spot for helping furry friends? We’re hiring!