WATCH: Senior Cat Stuck in Tree for 3 Days Grateful for His Heroic GoPro Rescue

Butterfly the cat was scared up a poison ivy-covered tree by a dog

Butterfly the senior cat couldn’t flutter out of this puzzle.

The 15-year-old feline was recently chased up a tree by a dog, where he became stuck for three days.

This winter the orange tabby managed to slip out of his Georgia home and into the great outdoors. During his unsupervised trip, Butterfly crossed paths with a dog, who scared him up a three-story tree. Not used to climbing, and frightened of the dog, Butterfly refused to budge from his towering spot.

To make things worse, the tree Butterfly ended up in was surrounded by poison ivy. The cat’s family thought Butterfly would figure out his own way down, but after he endured two cold nights still stuck in the same tree, they became worried.

Butterfly’s family reached out to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals for help, since they could not find a way to safely get Butterfly down themselves. PETA sent out a professional with all the ropes, saws, skills and kindness needed to safely move the terrified, dehydrated cat off the tree and back to ground level.

The contractor who rescued the senior kitty also filmed the encounter on a GoPro, so others could learn from Butterfly’s situation.

While felines may seem wild at heart, they should not be let outside unsupervised. House cats are not prepared to deal with the big, bad world outdoors, which includes predators, cars, poisonous plants and feisty dogs.