The cat has been trapped in the large tree on West 150th Street for five days and residents are concerned for its well-being as more extreme heat moves in.
Tenants say the black cat can be heard crying at night from nearly four stories up outside the Dunbar Apartments.
"We had a sheet strung out underneath the tree, and we tried spraying water on it, thinking it would jump, but it just made it climb higher," resident Sue Hoffman said.
Now the residents are on their third can of tuna to try to lure the cat down to safety.
The FDNY attempted to rescue the cat on Monday with a large ladder but they were unsuccessful in their efforts and were called to a fire.
They also returned on Tuesday after Eyewitness News called for an update. They tried putting cat food in the crook of the tree and when that didn't work, they tried spraying it with water from the ground and a roof of a nearby building.
Since the tree is in a courtyard, the FDNY says they cannot use an aerial ladder to go higher.
So at this point residents are just waiting and holding out hope.
Neighbors have named the cat PL Dunbar and hope the tuna in the crook of the tree might help get it down.
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