Happy Endings
Barnstead
Maggie is home (Missing 16 days)
On Christmas Eve, 2009, when my teenage son came into the house carrying a starving, scrawny, shivering kitten, I was worried. We had two labs, Deacon and Sweetie, who hated cats. But my son felt that Maggie needed us. Well, let me tell you that when I saw Deacon go toward that little kitten, my heart went into my throat! I thought for sure we would have a horrible scene. But Deacon just sniffed her and gave her a lick, then laid his head down on the floor. My husband said, "He must know she belongs here." From that moment on, Maggie was not a cat. She was the baby of the family, and "Jus' one of the dogs". Whatever the dogs did, Maggie did. She even liked to ride in the back of our truck, snuggled up with her dogs, and would stick her head out the cracked window when the truck stopped at a red light or a stop sign, just like the dogs. She would even meow loudly if I left the vehicle, in chorous with the dogs' whining, my husband has told me.
Maggie is an indoor-only cat, though when we go to our camp she does occasionally munch grass right outside the front door. She prefers to stay indoors, though, as she doesn't care to get dirty. So we were very worried when, on 11/21/11, the night we got that first real blast of bitter cold, we came home from work to find out that the workmen coming in and out of our cellar must have spooked Maggie, and that she had slipped out the door.
Needless to say, an intensive search ensued. My son and I were out until 11:30 that freezing night, calling her. We found a black cat, but not Maggie. We wondered if maybe the black cat scared her even farther away. That night, I couldn't sleep; it was cold outside, and poor Maggie was out there. My husband said she would be okay due to her weight and long thick Maine Coon coat, but I wanted her back inside. For the next 15 days, every time we let our one surviving lab, Sweetie, outside, we called Maggie's name. The neighbors were on the lookout, as we had posted flyers at the local stores and post office, and I'd posted Maggie on as many internet sites as possible! I received many emails and phone calls with good advice and possible sightings, and voices of hope! The most helpful thing I read was on Missing Pet Partnership's website, http://www.missingpetpartnership.org/recovery-lostcat.php where they describe the three types of lost cats, indoor-only, indoor/outdoor, and outdoor-only, giving behavior profiling for each type. They also have enlightened us about "The Silence Factor." I found this information consoling, and it gave me hope that Maggie would return.
This past Tuesday, 16 days and a lot of weather later, my dog Sweetie came in from her morning routine, leading her friend Maggie through the front door! I don't know if Sweetie found Maggie, or if Maggie found Sweetie. All I know is that Maggie is doing well, and already starting to put a little weight back on. She and Sweetie are lying on the couch together again. And leaving no room for me to sit, LOL! We are all very happy and are counting our blessings.
Dover
Grayson is home (Missing 6 days)
10/20/11
We are so very happy to report that Grayson is now home! As soon as I got home tonight I went out and re-searched all of the areas in our neighborhood that I'd spent 3 hours searching yesterday, even asking my neighbor to open up his camper to check inside. Everyone has been so kind. When I got back to the house, I saw my husband Kevin coming across the street holding the cat carrier. He had just found a note on the door saying that one of our neighbors had found Grayson on their porch, hanging out with their cat. When we got to the neighbors', I saw, through tears of joy, our sweet Grayson looking almost as thin as the day I got him, but not injured. His collar is missing, but he is fine! I had never lost hope that he was close by. It was comforting to read all the postings about cats who'd returned after 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 9 weeks. There were lots of prayers going out, and tonight, prayers answered. Thank you all for the words of encouragement and advice.
Dee and Kevin
Note: Grayson was an urgent case, due to his need for daily thyroid medication. The picture above was taken when he was found on the street, before finding his forever home with Dee and Kevin, and getting the correct diagnosis from their vet.
Raymond
Loki is home! (Missing 8 days)
9/3/11Last night we found our lost kitty, Loki! We're so happy he's home! He was in the neighbor's shed. I don't know if he was sleeping when we checked around there or what. We're just glad he's back. He's a little skinny, but we'll keep him in a bit, spoil him, and get him back to his normal size :-)
Derry
Clarence is home! (Missing 20 days)
8/22/11
Great NEWS! I FOUND CLARENCE! YAY! I was able to lure him into the harmless trap on Saturday!! Guess he just decided he was hungry enough, after 20 days, and was going to come home! Silly kitty has been nothing but love & purrs!! (Note: Clarence is 11 years old)
Newmarket
Lucy's home (Missing 2 weeks)
8/19/11
Lucy got out of a second story window 3 weeks after moving into a new apartment. There was no sign of her for days. I emailed and sent photographs to Catfinders.org, NHSPCA, and local animal shelters and vets. We made posters and notified all of our neighbors and local businesses. We searched under the house and kept looking. Two weeks later a cat showed up outside of our neighbor's window crying to get in. Our neighbor came and knocked on our door and told us she heard a cat. It was Lucy! She came back to the home she lived in for only 3 days. That was the longest two weeks ever! If we hadn't gotten the word out to our neighbors, Lucy's cries might have gone unnoticed. Now Lucy is doing well. She is hungry and tired, but nothing that coming home can't fix!
Goffstown
Lilly's home! (Missing 5 days)
8/13/11
Lilly, our cat with a heart defect, was out on her "adventure" as we call it for five days in July. Between her lack of meds, being so sick, and the presence of fisher cats in the neighborhood we were sure our little one would not return. Using techniques suggested in the Silence Factor* we searched and searched and then late one night while locking the door I heard a familiar meow and looked out the door to see her on the roof above our porch, an area I had checked dozens of times.
She was very "touch and go" for the first week but I am happy to say she is happy, healthy and playing with her little sister again. The picture above is from the following morning. I'm pretty sure she slept almost all day for the first few days she was home! Oddly enough, her time out proved to help her a bit; she was deemed strong enough to be fixed and the vets predict she will have a happy, mostly healthy life.
*The Silence Factor: a term used by Missing Pet Partnership to describe how a frightened or ill cat may not be able to respond to our call.
Dover
8/8/11 Update
This cat was never an indoor cat, as it turns out. Although her friends tried to help her be a loved member of the family, she was unable to tolerate being kept indoors, so they kindly let her go where she is happiest, the outdoors. She is much loved, and well cared for.
8/4/11
Lisa writes: We now know who this kitty belongs to. A veterinarian posted the pics on their website yesterday and within an hour we got a hit. Now we are just trying to catch her to get her home!
Manchester
(Missing about one month)
7/25/11
When Lorrie found this pretty cat, the cat had a large wound on her leg, perhaps a bite wound, that had become infected. Lorrie brought her right to the vet. After caring for the cat for about a month and trying to find the cat's family on her own, she got the idea to try Craigslist and Cat Finders. Three days later, the cat's family saw the Craigslist entry and contacted Lorrie!
Lorrie writes: The owner was ecstatic to be reunited with her "baby," whose real name is Snowy, not "Psycho Kittah" as we had been calling her. Snowy continues to mend at home with her owners who live only 1/2 mile away from us. It appears that Snowy got out and perhaps startled or was chased by something, then got lost in the woods. It had been about a month since her Mom had seen her and she had been checking Craigslist almost daily. She had all but given up on finding her again.
When she called me she had additional body marking information, like a torn right ear and a few other characteristics that only someone who truly knew her would be able to provide details on.
The owner and I have agreed to keep in touch and she's stated she will provide us with updates and photos of her beloved Snowy (aka: Psycho Kittah.) Yes, we told her what we had named the cat and she laughed, knowing her kitty's personality, and she said it was much more fitting than "Snowy."
In the News: Cat missing since Alabama tornado has returned home. See this video at:
http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2011/05/19/dnt.cat.finds.owner.during.intv.wiat.html
Dover
Kobi's home! (Missing 45 days)
Kobi disappeared on November 3, 2010, and was gone for 45 days until found on December 18. After plastering the area with over 60 flyers and receiving numerous calls, many for a cat who lived a block over and looked virtually identical, we got lucky. A woman, (who lived 5 blocks away) called to say she'd seen a cat under her deck. It was Kobi! Unfortunately, he had a large gash on his face from what looked like an animal attack. After an hour we were able to coax him out, with the help of some turkey, and take him home. Here's where it gets a little weird. When we took him to the vet we found out that someone had already taken him to a vet, and his gash had already been treated and then he was let go. He had lost over two pounds so it didn't look like he was being fed or cared for. Either way, we want to thank whoever brought him to the vet for treatment. Kobi is happy to be back home and is more spoiled than ever.
To anyone who's missing their cat: Don't give up, plaster the area with lost flyers and replace them when needed. Keeping them in plastic sleeves worked well for us. While many people would gladly try to find a lost cat, offering a reward does help.
The Behan Family
Dover
Sherman is home! (Missing 2 months)
1/6/11
Sherri's story: Yesterday Cocheco Valley Humane Society called me thinking they have Sherman, and it was really him! I picked him up early today and he is now at home curled up on a blanket on the sofa. I can't believe it is him. He was hanging around someone's house about a mile or so down the street from us; he was so close to home.
He is in good health, lost weight, but actually not a bad thing because he was a bit heavy. It is taking Sherman and our other cat a bit to get re-acquainted but I hope they will be friends again soon. It is really crazy that he is home, I still can't believe it. He hasn't really moved from the sofa; just to eat, drink and do his business. He is totally settled back in! See photo below :)
Sherman is home!
Wilton, NH
Reunited with his family (Missing 3 months)
11/7/10 I've located the owner through your site. Thank you so much. I posted him as found on 10/23/10 in Wilton, NH. He is now back home in Temple. He apparently hitched a ride in a construction van when a neighbor was having roof work done.
Dover
Tobi's Home! (Missing almost a week)
10/22/10
Tobi slipped off his leash while on a walk near the woods by the Dover school. After nearly a week of searching, his person writes:
Tonight on our drive to the woods where he got off his leash, I spotted him right at the fire station parking lot, just standing there. We pulled over the car and he was a little weary but he let us approach him and grab him and now he's home! I can't even believe I'm looking at him laying there and purring. For anyone else that lost their cat, tell them to use the idea of leaving food at the same time every night, and throwing down litter from the cat's litter box near the area, and even leaving articles of worn clothing. I can't believe it . . . I just can't. I am so happy I didn't give up! Tobi is very dirty and very hungry but he is sooo happy to be home and we are so happy to have him back.
Below are a couple of pictures from the first hour he got home. 1. stuffing his face & 2. passed out in happiness :) Please pass any info on at all that may benefit some other kitties' humans but most of all stress that "never give up" thing because your kitty is out there missing you just as much as you miss him!
Merrimack
Derek's home! (Missing almost 4 months)
10/2/10
Mary writes:
My miracle happened on Oct. 2nd, 5 days shy of Derek's 4th month missing.
He was seen one street away; maybe he was on his way home. A woman called me, saying that her daughter had seen my sign, and that they had been feeding a gray cat for a few days. He wouldn't let them near him--which is how I would expect him to act. When he came by after they saw my sign, they called so I could come see if it was him, and it was! He is extremely thin, and all he wants is food and my lap, but otherwise he seems okay.
Manchester
Tippy's home! (Missing five weeks)
9/27/10
After 5 weeks, Tippy is now reunited with his family. A neighbor had assumed Tippy was a stray and had given him to a friend. Tippy's person, Denise, writes:
I hung 64 signs, with Tippy's photo, throughout the six streets in my immediate area. My neighbor saw the signs, and called her friend to let him know Tippy had an owner. The friend called me and returned my little guy. I also ran ads in the Union Leader & Craig’s List, contacted the vet, the shelters & Cat Finders. I am so happy to have him back.
Barrington, NH
Drew is home! (Missing 3 nights)
6/6/10
Kris writes:
EXCELLENT NEWS! DREW IS HOME!
It is a rather unbelievable story, but in a snapshot it went like this:
After being gone 3 nights, and after me spending all day today posting and making contacts, I watched the weather radar and headed into the woods after the last storm came through, with a bag of spent kitty litter (corn, so biodegradable) to sprinkle like Hansel and
Gretel, calling Drew's name as I went deeper and deeper into the forest.
Suddenly I heard a meow response, and after a frustrating and crazy half hour of trying to track down the sound, I discovered Drew at the top of an old, dead pine tree. Long story short, he would not come down no matter what. I spent an hour coaxing, but to no avail.
We got some help, and as it got dark, in desperation, we cut down the tree. As the tree came down, Drew flew out of it (Bobby Orr style) and disappeared. Fortunately he did not really disappear, but headed directly home and was in the garage waiting for us when we got there, thank goodness! He is thin, soaking wet, and very cuddly. We talked with the emergency vet and have been carefully monitoring him, and introducing food and water slowly. Anyway, unbelievably, this story has a happy ending. The moral of this story
is NEVER GIVE UP HOPE! And ALWAYS do every single thing you can think of to bring your baby home.
Sandown, NH
Charlie's home! (Missing 5 and a half weeks)
5/16/10 Charlie's first day back home! Half on the table, half on Dad's lap!
Charlie is back today, 5/16/10, after being gone for 5 and a half weeks.
He was living in a neighbor’s backyard, in a wood pile. He is very skinny, but otherwise seems in pretty good shape. I’ll call the vet in the morning and try to get him in for a checkup ASAP. He is eating like a horse and will not leave me alone. He just wants to be held and to sleep in my lap.
5/17/10 Update from Charlie's person: He did well at the vet's today and is making a good recovery.
Dover, NH
Henry's home! (Missing 9 weeks)
Susan writes:
After 9 weeks missing, Henry was found this morning, July 25, 2009, around 11:30 am, when a neighbor saw him in her garage lying in a heap. He was emaciated, dehydrated and unable to stand up. He still had his collar, id, and microchip intact. He was having seizures. It seems he was trying to come back home and couldn't make it the last 100 yards. I rushed him to a vet where he is now in critical care. He is expected to be okay but I will not be able to bring him home for at least 48 hours. The vet did say if he had been another 24-48 hours in this condition, he might not have made it alive. Thank you to everybody who helped look for Henry during this search. Your thoughts, prayers and efforts are so very much appreciated!
Jaffrey, NH
Big Kitty is home! (Missing one week, far from home)
Big Kitty was found on July 11, 2009 after being lost since July 4th. His family had been staying at a Jaffrey vacation cottage, and Big Kitty got scared when he was being brought to the car to go home. A declawed, indoor city cat, Big Kitty was hiding silently in a territory alien to him, hundreds of miles from home. His family stayed and searched for him as long as they could, but after a few days they had to go back to Virginia. The following weekend, they returned to New Hampshire and found Big Kitty! Safe, sound, and now on his way home.
His person, Susan, writes:
If not for all of those support people, the Cat Rescue org. in Jaffrey, Jaffrey neighbors, Petfinder, Cat Finders, (with links to Missing Pet Partnership) etc. who supported me emotionally, and who helped with ideas, information and postings to the public, I would not have known that a male, neutered, declawed cat who was spooked would hide in SILENCE and would have to be STARVING to come out and be found (he would NOT meow, he was hiding from "predators" in the real sense, fisher cats, coyotes, and the fireworks we did not even hear). Without that knowledge I would not have EVER thought to send my husband back up to New Hampshire on day seven!
The information and support I received kept me going even after about 50 people had told me that Big Kitty had no chance of survival in the wild, given the predators in the mountain woods of Jaffrey. So, miracles are indeed possible and I think it a miracle that my cat was found alive.
S.D. writes:
When I lived in Londonderry, we had a white and black cat, Frosty, a 6 year old male. He went missing one day and we put advertisements in all the local papers as well as signs on telephone poles, stores, etc. I had three small children at the time who were devastated, but time did heal and we had other pets as well to focus our attention on.
Approximately a year later I received a phone call from a woman. She had been packing some glassware in boxes and using old newspapers when she noticed a LOST CAT ad on the newspaper . . . she didn't know why it caught her eye, but it did. She had taken in a stray cat 8 months earlier that fit the description to a tee! We couldn't believe it could be our cat, but she suggested we stop by . . . it was only 3-4 miles away from our home. When we got there she told us the cat stayed outside most of the time and we should go to her back yard and try calling him. We all called, "Frosty"! Not a second went by when a large white/black cat came running from the woods . . . it was Frosty!
We all cried . . . for joy . . . and could not believe our luck! Since that day, I have never given up hope on finding a lost pet. He lived a long, happy life back at our home.
Pat from Manchester writes:
Thanks to Craig's List I was able to reunite a 22 year old cat with her "parents" who live many blocks from my home. After four weeks on the run, Trouble is back home, sleeping in her own bed and probably being very spoiled by her loved ones. I don't know how she made it to my backyard safely--quite a distance for such a "mature" cat--but when I saw her hiding under the shed, I knew she was lost & began feeding her routinely.
My point is--if you've lost a cat, don't give up. Follow all leads even if there's a distance involved. Cats are very resourceful--they will travel until they find food, water & shelter. If you're reading this post you're probably a cat person. Next time you see a wandering feline that looks lost--take time to check it out & see if you can help. It's so rewarding to be able to return a pet to it's owner. Thanks!
Callie's home! (Missing over a month)
Callie
Callie vanished from her Lee home on 12/2/08. Her person, Dianne, never gave up looking for her. On the evening of 1/5/09, over a month after Callie's disappearance, Dianne was outside calling her name in the darkness, and suddenly, Callie appeared out of nowhere. Not only had she been lost for over a month, but she had somehow survived the December ice storm and the blizzard soon after. Although she lost some weight during her ordeal, she is doing well & is so happy to be home.
Bobbi
In November, 2008, Kim of Epping, NH found a hungry cat hanging around outside her home. On December 30, 2008, Kim writes:
I wanted to give you an update on Bobbi. This past Saturday we made fliers and we placed them in all of our neighbors doors, about 20 or so. Within 1/2 hour we received a phone call, and we located her owner. To keep the story short, they felt that she would be happy living with us, so she has been in the house prior to the last major snow storm. She seems to love it, and the other 2 cats are adjusting, as she is too. The owner indicated that she is 12 - 14 years old. She now lives indoors, and is fast becoming part of the family!
Kim and Bobbi, you are an inspiration to us all!
A New Hampshire woman writes:
We were delighted when Daisy came home 11 days after getting out of the house, and she is doing well at home. I wish you luck with your own cat, it's a terrible feeling to not know what happened to a loved pet. If I learned anything from my experience, it's to not give up hope.
A cat missing for 9 years is returned to his family
(reprinted from iVillage message board)
London (Reuters) - A couple have been reunited with their missing cat after nine years, the RSPCA said on Wednesday. Dixie, a 15-year-old ginger cat, disappeared in 1999 and her owners thought she had been killed by a car. She was found less than half a mile from her home in Birmingham after a concerned resident rang the animal charity to report a thin and dishevelled cat who had been in the area for a couple of months.
RSPCA Animal Collection Officer Alan Pittaway checked her microchip and confirmed it was Dixie. She was returned to her owners, Alan and Gilly Delaney, within half an hour.
"In 29 years of working for the RSPCA I have never seen anyone so excited and happy as Mrs Delaney," Pittaway said. "It made my day to return Dixie to her owners."
The couple were "overjoyed" to be reunited with their missing cat after so many years.
"Dixie's personality, behaviour and little mannerisms have not changed at all," said Gilly Delaney. "We don't think she has stopped purring since she came back through the door."
A more local tale:
Gunny is back home!
Today my cat Gunny was found. He was hit by a Manchester Cab on Friday and a 17 year old girl saw it happen and brought him to the emergency vet. Not only did she save his life but she also came to visit him over the weekend to make sure he got better. I am eternally grateful and have a renewed respect for humanity. I hung signs this weekend and received 2 phone calls regarding my pet. I also posted on craigslist and received emails from people genuinely concerned and helpful in finding my pet.
Thanks to all. My heart has been repaired.
Check for more Happy Endings on the Lost Cat pages for your town or county.