Hello all,
I registered on your website on Christmas Day to post a notice about my lost cat, but unfortunately the activation email went into my junk so I didn't get around to putting it on yet.
I am here to tell my story in the hope it may help someone, I know that reading stories of lost and found cats really helped me over the past month.
My girl Elan went missing on 8th December 2010, the day we moved house I was very ill with the vomiting bug, I moved all three of my girls that day, and did everything to keep them secure whilst things were being moved in. But I fell asleep in the chaos, and my baby cat who is the most scared of the three managed to get out as soon as a door was opened. For the 1st 24 hours I thought she was hiding under the kitchen cabinets, because that was the first place she went and I was used to her hiding for a while when visitors came etc. The next day I called her, expected to see her, started searching everywhere in the house but it became apparent she was not in the house. I started to panic. I called and called, walked the neighbourhood, I was terrified because she didn't know the area at all and it then started to get very cold and snow.
I did all the posters and flyers and distributed them three streets from home, put them in shops, cars etc, but didn't hear a thing. Looked at all the websites recommended, deposited hoover bag, put out bedding, dirty t-shirts etc, and some food every day.
Three weeks on from the last time I saw her, I'd heard nothing, no sign of her at all, no phone calls, I was at my wits-end. Then on new years eve, I went out just before midnight to call her as usual, and I heard a squeak from over the road. Every time I called her, I heard the squeak. I called my partner, who heard it faintly, then I could not get an answer again. Then the fireworks started, and despite calling day and night after that I still heard nothing. I tried to get hold of the people over the road, they either ignored me or wouldn't answer their door, but we are new to the road and some people can be funny.
Then last night, Elan had been missing 4 weeks, I went outside in my back garden about 9pm, another cat had popped out with me, I couldn't see her so I called her - and I heard a squeak/cry in response, which wasn't her, I knew straightaway it was Elan. So I kept calling, keeping my voice as calm as I could, the squeaking got louder and more urgent, and I was able to coax her close and get her through the thick hedge between mine and my neighbour's garden. I could not believe it, there she was, my little girl in my arms.
She has lost a lot of weight, a few scrapes, but she looked quite clean and her coat was good. She now keeps trying to get into small dark spaces, and she is hiding. I will take her to be checked over at the vets, but I don't want to traumatise her with a car trip for a day or two.
I do really think that putting my dirty laundry around the house boundary helped keep her close after she got out of wherever she was, and also calling her every day from the same spot without fail.
Although my girl is home safe, I will continue to check all the lost and found sites regularly, and I hope that anyone with a lost cat is reunited soon.
