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The basics:

• Steven Murrow has rescued 200+ cats from trees in five years
• Pitman arborist provides cat rescues free of charge
• Earned a 2024 PETA Compassionate Action Award
• Founder, owner of eco-friendly Tesla Tree Service, which employs five

A South Jersey tree trimmer is earning a reputation for going above and beyond his regular work to save cats stuck in tall trees at no cost. Over the past five years, Steven Murrow has used his professional tree climbing skills to retrieve felines who scurried up treetops and are too scared or unable to come down.

Over that span, the licensed arborist from Pitman has brought more than 200 frightened furballs back down to solid ground. Along with going viral multiple times for the videos he shares on social media documenting rescues, Murrow has earned a Compassionate Action Award in 2024 from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

He has also been spotlighted by major outlets like The Washington Post and NBC News and made appearances on programs such as “The Drew Barrymore Show” and been selected to participate in animal charity Philadoptables’ annual Hunks for Hounds Charity Calendar.

“I still think I’m just a regular guy with a skillset and I just use it to help others like anybody else would,” the Tesla Tree Service owner said. “Kindness is contagious. So, whether you’re climbing a tree to rescue a cat or you’re just holding a door for somebody at Wawa, just be kind, be a good person and it will inspire others to do the same. And that’s how we can make the world a better place.”

Kindness is contagious. So, whether you’re climbing a tree to rescue a cat or you’re just holding a door for somebody at Wawa, just be kind …
– Steven Murrow, Tesla Tree Service owner … and cat rescuer

How did they get there?

It’s very easy for cats to wind up in trees because their claws are the ideal tools for propelling them upwards, according to pet health experts at PetMD.com. However, they have trouble coordinating their front and hind feet when climbing down, so returning to the ground isn’t easy. While they generally jump from high perches, a tree might be too high for felines to land safely.

Murrow said, “Normally, it’s either they are chasing something or they’re being chased by something. But then again, they’re still just curious cats.”

However, that curiosity could lead to a dangerous situation. Cats stranded in trees can suffer serious harm, including dehydration and fatal falls while trying to climb back down. Besides hoping to inspire others to volunteer at local animal shelters or adopt a companion animal, Murrow hopes his efforts will raise awareness of the importance of keeping cats inside.

“There are so many dangers for cats outside, not only with getting stuck in a tree and suffering freezing or lack of food, but then the animal population and whatnot. They can become targets or they can target other innocent animals. Domesticated cats really just need to stay indoors. There are so many bad things that can happen and that’s why I help,” he explained.

‘Why I do it’

Murrow unintentionally began his mission in 2021 when a friend called him to get Farfel out of a tree in Sicklerville. After climbing up the tree with a rope, Murrow got close enough to calm the cat and placed it into a pouch before lowering back to the ground. Farfel was later reunited with its owners after a social media post helped identify them.

Murrow said, “I cried … literally, it had been five days that cat was up there, and it was freezing cold. I can’t believe that it survived that long in that temperature. And I just knew I was that cat’s last hope. It would not have survived if I didn’t climb that tree to rescue it. So, that’s why I do it. I know I’m making a difference. I’m helping the animal and I’m helping their families.”

“It’s just been nonstop ever since,” he said. “I have the equipment and the ability to do it, so of course I’m going to help someone’s animal that is stuck. And I’m not going to put a price tag on it … If the cat needs help, I’m going to find time to do it. That’s how I was raised. It’s the right thing to do.”

‘No price’ for saving a life

Hours before chatting with NJBIZ, Murrow was in Middletown, Del., at 5 a.m. to help Mocha out of a giant tulip poplar.

“Mocha had been stuck for a couple of days, so people started tagging me on Facebook. And then the owner reached out yesterday,” he said.

A few days before that, he was in Tom River to coax “repeat offender” Nayla back down from a 50-foot black oak tree.

He then finished out the week in Haddon Heights where he retrieved Tupperware from the top of a sweetgum tree after the fire department’s ladder truck couldn’t reach.

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Murrow’s rescues are typically within an hour or so of his home in South Jersey. For those he cannot help because they are too far away, Murrow refers them to the Cat in a Tree Emergency Rescue website. The resource’s list of more than 100 companies across the U.S., Canada, Australia and the U.K. that perform cat rescues includes about a half dozen entities in New Jersey.

Some rescuers will rescue cats at no charge but encourage donations, while others charge for the service. Murrow has vowed to always offer the service for free.

“There’s no price I could put on saving an animal … I’ll wake up at 4 in the morning if I have to and go do rescues before work and go do rescues after work. I do a lot of sunrise and sundown cat tree rescues,” Murrow said.

Feline fine

After being contacted about a stuck kitty, Murrow said he focuses on being as prepared as possible. That includes bringing treats to lure cats perched on branches and a harness pouch designed to transport the felines safely.

“I also like to know if the cat is friendly, so I kind of know what to expect as I approach it in the tree. I want to know how long it’s been stuck in the tree. A cat that’s only been in there a few hours or even a day is less receptive to a rescue than one who’s been there overnight or for a couple days,” he said.

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“And then the other important things are like, well, whose property is it on? And do we have permission to access that property? And I’ve done rescues where it’s been kind of weird in the Philly area with some neighbors and property and having to sign liability forms for people because they were unsure about someone climbing their tree,” he recalled.

One of his most memorable “cat-in-a-tree rescue” incidents occurred in December 2025, when Millie climbed onto the tip of a thin tree limb and was trapped for at least three days in the freezing cold. After grabbing the Millie, Murrow brought her to the Gloucester County Animal Shelter because the people who called him weren’t the owners. She wound up being reunited with her family by New Year’s Day.

Climbing in love

A tall tree is also where Murrow met the cat that he and his wife would go on to adopt. Last summer, he went to Upper Darby, Pa., for a stray that had been trapped for five days.

“The woman who called for help already had two or three other cats, so she couldn’t take her in … The cat was borderline dehydrated and panting, which is not something that cats normally do. So, we took her to the vet as soon as the vet opened the next day to get her checked out,” he explained.

“They said she was okay and estimated she was maybe a year old. She had a microchip, too. I have a microchip scanner to scan all the cats we rescue and post online, but nobody was looking for her,” he said. “My wife and I fell in love with her that weekend, so we kept her.”

Now known as Baby, their fur baby’s hobbies include looking out windows and climbing all over the house. According to Murrow, she gets along well with their foster miniature dachshund, Andy.

“She loves seeing what’s going on. But she’s never been outside since we’ve had her,” Murrow said.

‘The cat guy’

The social media buzz Murrow generates from the one to two rescues he does a week also benefits Tesla Tree Service. “I never imagined that this could draw business to me, especially because I do it for free. I’m not doing it for the money. I’m not doing it for notoriety. I’m doing it because I know it’s the right thing to do, but it has benefited my business. I do get phone calls from people and they’re like, ‘Oh, you’re the cat guy. We want you to give me an estimate for your tree.’ So, I mean that’s cool,” he said.

“But honestly, I think anyone who is a decent human being and is charitable with their time deserves good business,” he said, adding, “Just help your neighbors and help your friends and good things will happen for you.”

When he’s not making sure that area cats don’t use up their nine lives, Murrow stays busy running Tesla Tree Services.

A Magnolia native, Murrow’s background includes seven years in the tree industry and two years as a licensed arborist. Before founding Tesla Tree Service, Murrow was a contract climber.

“I would work for other licensed tree contractors when they needed someone to get in a big tree because it was bigger than their lift or in an area that their lift didn’t reach and they would pay me for the day to come help them,” he said.

Branching out

Murrow says he branched out to start his own business “out of necessity.”

“I’d been working for a large corporation, and they were getting weird with some COVID-related rules and terminating certain employees. I was in management and didn’t agree with what the company was doing. So, we parted ways,” he said.

“This was something I had in my back pocket … and now it’s panned out. I’m so happy that I did, and I very much enjoy working for myself. Except I do end up working way more hours than I want to sometimes,” he said.

Billed as the “most technologically advanced and environmentally friendly tree service provider in South Jersey,” the business is named after the vehicle that Murrow uses to haul around his solar-charged chainsaws and climbing equipment.

“I’ve always been environmentally conscious. So, as battery technology improved over the years and I saw the first battery electric chainsaw, I thought, well, this is convenient. Not only is it good for our environment, but it’s also it’s not as loud. So, you don’t have the noise pollution, it’s less maintenance, it’s cheaper to operate because I’ve got solar panels on my house so I can charge these batteries for free. It was a win-win to try it. And then I found out it’s as powerful – if not more powerful – than some of my gas saws,” Murrow explained.

“So, slowly I started accumulating more battery-electric tools. We have extension pruners, pole saws, and then the small hand saw is all battery-electric,” he said. “It’s all the same benefits – no noise, the ease of maintenance and the cost to operate is significantly better.”

The company also has North America’s first all-battery-electric 80-foot aerial lift. The vehicle is towed and charged by Murrow’s Tesla Cybertruck.

Charged up

A typical day at Tesla Tree Service is usually a six-to-eight-hour affair for Murrow and his crew of five employees.

“It could just be on property where we’re pruning three or four trees and removing one, or it could be three or four small jobs where we’re removing a couple of trees, pruning a couple trees, but that’s usually our day,” he said.

Tree work tends to be seasonal, with major pruning done during the winter dormant season because it’s healthier for trees. Spring is typically spent handling pruning and tree removals as homeowners prepare their properties for summer, according to Murrow.

However, last winter the company saw a lot of additional jobs due to an uptick in storms, Murrow noted. “We had some snow and ice which caused several tree issues. Trees on houses, on cars, blocking driveways, so I had to do emergency storm work while there was still snow on the ground,” he said.

Given the inherently risky nature of tree work, making sure a crew is qualified, coordinated and focused on safety is crucial, he said.

Finding the good apples

“It’s tough. The industry is notorious for having bad apples. Employees that either don’t want to come to work all the time or have addiction problems. So, it is difficult to root through employees. The way I started was my first employee was a gentleman I had worked with at a prior company. I had a year working with him. So, I knew he was a good standup person, with similar morals and values. He had even helped me with cat rescues previously. I knew his skill, ability and consciousness to safety was where it needed to be. And then two others were literally friends of mine and they’re not climbers, but you teach them what to do on the ground and the more they learn, the more responsibilities you give them,” he said.

“But in this industry, it’s safety first and I can’t even stress that enough because there’s so many hazards and so many ways to get hurt or injured,” he said.

[I]n this industry, it’s safety first and I can’t even stress that enough because there’s so many hazards and so many ways to get hurt or injured.
– Steven Murrow, Tesla Tree Service owner

Murrow said there’s a few qualities he looks for in workers. “The first thing for us is, we all want to be able to communicate. So, if we can all speak the same language and we all understand each other perfectly clear, that’s priority number one. We need to be quick on our toes. We need to be alert and we just need to follow the rules,” he said.

“You have to wear chainsaw protective pants when you’re operating a chainsaw. You need to wear a helmet when you’re walking underneath the trees that are being worked on. You need to wear hearing protection when you’re near the chipper because that’s loud … And if you can follow those rules, then you’re probably going to listen, and you’ll be able to be responsible enough to do more difficult tasks in the industry. But the guys who don’t want to wear a helmet and don’t want to wear protection, you just know right away that they’re not going to work,” he said.

5-star reviews

As for where Murrow hopes to see Tesla Tree Service in the coming years, he wants to scale back his day-to-day workload while building a crew he can fully trust to deliver consistent, top-notch service.

“Well, I like being small because when you’re small, you have more control. And not that I’m a control freak, but this is my business and I’ve worked really hard for it,” he said. “We have perfect five-star reviews on all our platforms online. I take pride in that and I want to make sure all my employees are doing just as good as I do personally.”

“My ultimate goal in four or five years would be to not have to be on every job, to be able to trust my crew to get the job done, to be smart, be safe and keep performing perfect five-star tree work,” he said.

“And then I can still do some jobs, maintenance and cat rescues – which is still a 40- to 60-hour week. Right now, I’m doing 80-hour weeks and doing it all. I’d like to work less but still offer the same quality of service that we’ve been doing,” he said.