EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — When a cat is up a tree, it takes a neighborhood to save him — or so it was with the case of Rocky the cat in East Rutherford recently. Rocky may have used up two of his nine lives during a daring rescue after being stuck up in a tree for five days with no food or water. But as of a recent afternoon, he was safe and sound in his home.

A caring neighbor, the owner of a tree-service company, and two war veterans saved the day for Rocky, a 3-year-old feline, who got out of the house on a Friday night and made his way to the top of a 45-foot evergreen tree in a neighbor’s yard.

Rocky’s owner, Teresa Sciacca, and American Legion members Bill Armstrong and Louis Raguso, mobilized the neighborhood after they claim the fire department, police department and local animal control turned down their pleas to rescue Rocky, who was climbing higher in the tree every day and crying out day and night.

“Rocky is not an outdoor cat, but got out when I was unloading groceries five days ago,” said Sciacca. “On Sunday, my neighbor found him up the tree crying. But he went higher every day. The whole neighborhood kept asking, ‘When are you gonna get that cat out of the tree?’”

Afraid that Rocky’s life was at risk as the cat had made its way to a top branch, Armstrong noticed Pelio Barbieri, owner of Uncle Matty’s Tree Service, cutting down a tree around the corner. He approached Barbieri, who said he would do it, but needed someone to go up in the bucket and get the cat as his workers were gone for the day. That’s when neighbor James Mlynarz volunteered to attempt Rocky’s rescue.

“I just lost my cat, Wolfy, over the weekend. I am heartbroken. But when I saw that cat up there, I said ‘I will do it. No matter what, I will save that cat,’” said Mlynarz.

Barbieri helped Mlynarz into the bucket and strapped him in. After about 10 minutes of attempting to get the Mlynarz close enough to Rocky, Mlynarz held the cat safely in his arms. But then as a crowd watched and the bucket was being lowered, Rocky began mauling Mlynarz and jumped from the bucket that was 20 feet off the ground. Rocky landed on all fours, and ran away from the crowd.

Knowing that Rocky would head for home, Sciacca ran to her house. Minutes later she appeared with tears running down her face, Rocky in her arms, to a cheering crowd. The cat looked scared, but had no broken bones or even a scratch.

Fire Chief Justin Lahullier said that police do dispatch the fire department for animal rescues, but they prefer to take a “wait and see approach” to see if the animal will make its way down. In this case, he said that a report of a cat stuck in a tree was made to police and relayed to the fire department. However, there was a miscommunication as to how long Rocky had been up the tree. The protocol is to tell the owner to wait and see if the cat will make its way down unless the cat is in danger or hurt. Nine times out of 10, the cat usually comes down on its own, said Lahullier.

“If we knew that the cat was up there for five days, I am sure we would have been dispatched. I don’t think anyone was aware that it was five days,” said Lahullier.

Lahullier added they have done many pet rescues, including a parrot in a tree.

As for Rocky, he was welcomed back home by his three other pet companions — two cats and a dog — who were very happy to see him, said Sciacca. Barbieri refused payment for his service in rescuing Rocky.