‘MISSION IMPOSSIBLE’ RESCUE OF UNI CAT UP TREE

University of Cambridge gardeners came to the rescue when a chaplain’s adventurous cat found himself in a sticky situation.

Rory, a five-year-old golden-and-white tabby, belongs to the chaplain of Peterhouse College but ended up high in a tree in neighbouring Pembroke College.

The unofficial “chaplain and support cat” for students had apparently been spooked by the Pembroke master’s two dogs and decided the safest place was up in the branches.

A video of the rescue captured one gardener climbing a ladder while another hummed the Mission Impossible theme as Rory, a fluffy Siberian forest cat, was safely brought down.

Rory lives with the Reverend Jennifer Adams-Massmann in college accommodation. She said he is “very adventurous” and enjoys visiting Pembroke and Downing Colleges, where he is often “surrounded by adoring students.”

He even has his own Instagram account as the “feline chaplain to the students of Peterhouse,” where photos and encouraging messages are shared for students.

“He really is a student welfare support cat,” said Ms. Adams-Massmann. “He does a lot of pastoral work. We organise events so students can play with him and give him treats—he’s very good at cuddling.”

The latest incident occurred when the Pembroke master’s dogs tried to “make friends” with Rory, but he was having none of it and climbed to the top of a tree, where he became stuck.

Professor Rosalind Polly Blakesley, the Pembroke master, filmed the rescue, joking: “Mission Impossible — Pembroke style… Pembroke gardeners at their finest.”

A college spokeswoman added: “Rory’s a much-loved visitor to Pembroke’s grounds, so our gardeners were more than happy to help. We hope to see him back in Pembroke soon.”

Ms. Adams-Massmann said this wasn’t Rory’s first arboreal adventure. “My poor husband has had to climb ladders before,” she said. “Rory can be a little clueless, but he is very sweet.”