Topic: Please help me find Grapelli - his owner is 3 and 1/2 with special needs and heartbroken- FOUND!!!! (Read 45312 times)

Mymblesdaughter · « **Reply #91 on:** November 16, 2011, 16:49:19 PM »

Just been taking to my friend shes in the last few weeks had both of her cats diagnosed with cancer. so as you can imagine it's pretty depressing. Thought I quickly log on to see what was going on on purrs and this has really made my day, what wonderful news. Really cheered me up.

sheilarose · « **Reply #90 on:** November 16, 2011, 16:24:16 PM »

What wonderful news, so happy for you, your sister, your nephew but especially for Grapelli

Can we have the name of the garden centre staff who sighted him, so we can express our gratitude for their help?

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #89 on:** November 16, 2011, 13:58:02 PM »

he was missing for 2 1/2 months and just another cat who shows that you should never give up hope.

what condition is he in and just so pleased you kept on searching and am amazed that nobody else saw him.

CatGirl · « **Reply #88 on:** November 16, 2011, 12:52:47 PM »

Great news,so pleased for you all.

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #87 on:** November 16, 2011, 12:42:49 PM »

OMG just saw the change to the title, absolutely brilliant and need pics and the story and and ,..........gosh my fingers all in a dither

Sam (Fussy_Furball) · « **Reply #86 on:** November 16, 2011, 12:30:30 PM »

OMG ..... that is the best news ever. I'm so pleased for you all. I guess you have alrady spoken to the "nice man" at the paper to tell him the good news (fell free to mention the Purrs site if they want to do a follow-up story

Liz · « **Reply #85 on:** November 16, 2011, 10:42:42 AM »

Fantastic news now we need the full story and piccies of you all together

Dawn F · « **Reply #84 on:** November 16, 2011, 10:09:58 AM »

OMG that is wonderful!!!!!!! where and how!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lex20874 · « **Reply #83 on:** November 16, 2011, 09:50:46 AM »

Call off the search......we HAVE him! At 6am this morning after calling him the previous night for hours on end, we took a break and went to bed. ny sister went back out before sunrise hoping in the quiet of the morning he would hear her, and he did!
Thank you so much to all of you for all your help and comforting words, you gave me faith and strength to keep searching! Thank you a million times and I hope other cats lovers get fortunate too and their furry friend return for Christmas!

JenGeorgieBob · « **Reply #82 on:** November 15, 2011, 11:41:48 AM »

Hi,
I have pm'd you, but not sure if it is too late now,

internet went down and only just working again. Am keeping fingers crossed for you all and really hope you find him! I am within walking distance so getting there is not a problem

lex20874 · « **Reply #81 on:** November 15, 2011, 00:20:28 AM »

Thank you all for the good wishes. Will keep you posted.
Jen - could you pm me your number just in case I desperately need a hand (I am driving down so could pick u up if necessary). I'll try and not bother you though, you have done so much as it is!
Liz - I hadn't thought of that!! My sister's previous cat was a NFC and he was even bigger than Grapelli (I find he is mainly fur!!!). I think it is worth a try though..... I have left a message for them I hope they ring me back tomorrow.
I shall get some sleep now as will need it to hunt the little chap down tomorrow! everything is crossed

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #80 on:** November 14, 2011, 23:53:56 PM »

I have absolutely everything crossed that it's him

Talk about timing, no sightings for weeks and then the just before you are due to return to the town there's a potential sighting

Liz · « **Reply #79 on:** November 14, 2011, 23:02:51 PM »

I so do hope it is him, CP should be able to lend a trap, problem is if he is a big cat he may not go in the trap unless he likes nice hidey holes - I have been trapping all sizes for nearly 15 years and had an incident with Star in the last 24 hours when he got out passed me yesterday - found up a tree but no damamge but he could get in the normal size trap = he weighs in just shy of 8kgs and is an NFC

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #78 on:** November 14, 2011, 19:40:41 PM »

Come on Grapelli show you face again

cazzer · « **Reply #77 on:** November 14, 2011, 19:29:54 PM »

oh I do so hope it is Grapelli. It would be Christmas come early

Sam (Fussy_Furball) · « **Reply #76 on:** November 14, 2011, 18:44:03 PM »

OMG .... fingers, toes, legs and eyes crossed

I will be hoping and praying it was Grapelli. It would be the most wonderful early xmas pressie for your nephew if it is him.

JenGeorgieBob · « **Reply #75 on:** November 14, 2011, 17:18:17 PM »

wow, my fingers are crossed. Have you phoned the local RSPCA and asked to borrow one? If you need any help then I am off work tomorrow, although do not have transport but could lend you a hand?

Rosella moggy · « **Reply #74 on:** November 14, 2011, 17:10:04 PM »

OMG! Did they really understand what a large cat he is?

lex20874 · « **Reply #73 on:** November 14, 2011, 17:07:54 PM »

I've just had a call from the garden centre, they think they have seen him go past their window! I am tryng not to get too excited! We are leaving in the morning and I'm hoping if it is him, hearing my sister's voice is all he will need to come out of hiding! I'm still looking to borrow st trap if anyone can help?

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #72 on:** November 14, 2011, 14:23:49 PM »

Have everything crossed you at least get some info about sightings

JenGeorgieBob · « **Reply #71 on:** November 14, 2011, 11:50:15 AM »

I hope you have some good luck and he is found. sending positive thoughts your way!
Jen

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #70 on:** November 14, 2011, 01:12:41 AM »

Sending loads of good vibes

lex20874 · « **Reply #69 on:** November 14, 2011, 00:27:56 AM »

Off to Ashford I go again. This time my sister, the owner is joibing me. I don't really have a plan this time other than putting loads of posters up again and speaking to businesses nearby, hopefully getting a trap as well..... fingers crossed. It is going to break my heart leaving without him again.....

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #68 on:** November 01, 2011, 23:59:12 PM »

It does seem very strange to have had zero sightings

That said, as you have read yourself, cats are found after weeks, months and years away so don't give up hope on finding him

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #67 on:** November 01, 2011, 02:00:50 AM »

Very strange how he has vanished into thin air and have to suspect he is with a new owner! He will have had to scavange for food or be fed.

If he is chipped that maybe the finding of him.

I do hope he turns up

lex20874 · « **Reply #66 on:** November 01, 2011, 00:50:35 AM »

Not one phone call!! I have since put an ad on gumtree and various Ashford businesses have been approached but still nothing. There seems to be a divide in opinions about traps, someone who would lend one said it was only worth it if they had been sightings which there hasn't, and that someone would have to sit there all night watching the trap so it dones't get stolen..... I was thinking of going to check it every 2 to 3 hours in the night but I can't watch more than one trap at a time!

My sister (the owner, well the owner's mum technically!) is hoping to come next week or the one after but budget is restricting us from doing everything we would want to do. Between planes, driving down from Hertfordshire and hotel for a few nights it isn't cheap so taking a while to save the money.

It is so disheartnening to have had no news whatsoever since he disappeared :-(

I have read in the paper that a cat was found after 9 years so it has given me hope but I don't think I can keep up the search for 9 years!!

Michelle (furbabystar) · « **Reply #65 on:** October 31, 2011, 13:19:29 PM »

Sad there is still no news on Grapelli

Have his own not been over yet ?

Liz · « **Reply #64 on:** October 21, 2011, 00:33:55 AM »

I set my traps at night when it is quieter and have them covered with an old blanket and have news paper lining hte trap to the kick plate, on the paper I have a trail of some sort of chopped meat and in a ramakin dish at the back of the trap something in the smelly cat food fish range, can also use sardines, tuna

Most cats will not keep going back in a trap after a couple of times in fact I have big Red here who after 5 years will only sit on the trap

lex20874 · « **Reply #63 on:** October 20, 2011, 23:43:53 PM »

Hi Liz,

I love the idea and it is definately worth a try. I keep thinking he must have gone back a few times but nobody saw him and so he went again. I am going to contact both the local CP and the hotel manager.
When I was there I saw a black cat who is apparently THE cat on that patch so we may end up catching him a few times but he'll get wise to it hopefully. I also saw a fox that night but I doubt he would have been a threat to Grapelli. What do you put in the traps? how long would you put the trap(s) out for?

Thank you for the suggestion, I hope I can get it organised.

Liz · « **Reply #62 on:** October 20, 2011, 10:39:07 AM »

Just a thought but have you asked the local CP about setting traps at the travel lodge am sure staff would check them as the last cat missing in this situation was found very close to where she went missing

Offer of a donation for the time and trap borrowing may be a way forward

I had to trap 30 of mine the day after we moved my then feral Alpha male broke a window and took the clan on a reccy of their new home. I got the last 2 girls home after 6 long months and a lot of trapping my neighbours cats bless they reset the traps goping out at 5am in the morning and let theirs out

It is heartbreaking but the majority of my then mob were indoor only and they surviced being outside with some of the very wily ferals keeping them close to home and us establishing feeding stations which 5 years on are still there for me band of outside ferals

lex20874 · « **Reply #61 on:** October 20, 2011, 00:44:08 AM »

Hi Jen

Don't worry about having had to take a break from helping (I'm just getting over a bug myself) Everything you do and have done is more than I had hoped for and more than I can do from here.

I haven't given up hope yet, although I am puzzled by the fact that nobody has seen him

The Royal Mail isn't very good at replying nor is the local leafleting company so if you happen to be near a printing/leafleting company would you enquire for us? I am going to look in the yellow pages to see if I can find different companies in the hope that they will reply! (you'd think they would want the business...)

I am also concerned that a lot of people whom I have spoken to here about cats said that they wouldn't think to check if they are chipped and if they saw no collar they might assume they are strays and would feed them!!! This seemed true of the older generation particularly! Maybe he is keeping an old lady warm somewhere????

Thanks again for everything! will let you know when I have news about returning to Ashford.

JenGeorgieBob · « **Reply #60 on:** October 19, 2011, 12:25:26 PM »

Thats ok, just wish you would get some good news! and that I could do more, haven't done anything all week due to horrid bug and am waiting in today for the man to fix the fence, hopefully you can all come back to Ashford and have a look for him at some point
paws crossed

lex20874 · « **Reply #59 on:** October 18, 2011, 00:01:33 AM »

No news :-(

hopefully no news is good news but with the temperature now slowly dropping and not one sighting since he disappeared I am getting more and more worried. I can't believe that nobody has seen him. I just hope an old lady has him and feeds him and keeps him warm but it doesn't help the constant worry. I think about the poor little lad all the time, especially as he is not a real outdoor cat.

I am waiting for the Royal Mail to get back to me on leaflet drops. I am trying to convince my sister to fly back and come back to Ashford but budget is tight so looking for best options.

A lady sent me some alternative posters, I can send you a load if you think it is worth doing?

I wish it was in my town so I could look for him everyday :-( All I have left is to pray I get some news, any news.

Thanks Jen for your continued effort, you are helping me more than you know and giving me the strenght to keep going.

JenGeorgieBob · « **Reply #58 on:** October 17, 2011, 12:41:00 PM »

Any news? Afraid I haven't been able to get out recently, but hopefully will be able to go out with leaflets on Friday, still thinking of poor Grapelli and hoping he is found soon!
We do get a lot of leaflets through the post but am not sure who pays for it to be done? Get regular supermarket ones (as well as about 3 different take-aways a day), speaking to the Royal Mail is a good idea 'accidently' left a couple of leaflets in the big post office in town on Last week, as that sees quite a bit of traffic, left them by the pens.
fingers crossed

lex20874 · « **Reply #57 on:** October 15, 2011, 01:15:58 AM »

good idea. I'll ask our postman as well as he'll probably know if there is a department within Royal Mail who deals with leafleting perhaps.
Thank you!

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #56 on:** October 15, 2011, 01:12:27 AM »

You could try asking local pizza places who delivers their leaflets for them, I don't live in Ashford but around here the leaflets are either delivered inside the local free paper or it tends to be pizza ones put through on their own.

lex20874 · « **Reply #55 on:** October 15, 2011, 01:10:17 AM »

No sighting

I was hoping for more calls after the newspaper article but only got one from a lovely lady who told me of a cat who looked like him but then she said he has a collar so I realised it couldn't be him....

I did wonder what I would do if someone said they had seen him as by the time I get there it'll probably be too late but I'll cross that bridge when I get there!!

So far no more prank calls so that's a positive I guess as it really upset me last time.

lex20874 · « **Reply #54 on:** October 15, 2011, 01:05:39 AM »

Hi

Sorry have been quiet. I also have had a horrible bug (hope yours is also getting better Jen) so worked has slowed down a bit and I feel like I am running out of ideas.

Still discussing my sister coming over, hopefully next week but same as when I went, budget prevents staying too long so will do everything we can whilst we are there.

I am considering using a local leafleting service to cover the whole of ashford, any recommendation or companies I should steer clear of? I have emailed 2 for a quote but neither has got back to me

I think someone needs to invent microchips with GPS it would prevent a lot of heartache!!

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #53 on:** October 15, 2011, 01:00:31 AM »

Just wondering if there have been any sightings?

JenGeorgieBob · « **Reply #52 on:** October 11, 2011, 21:36:21 PM »

Hi,
I am ok for posters, have photocopied a few so I still have some.
Put a couple of posters out yesterday but not much today I am afraid, have come down with a horrid bug so not left the house, when I am better I will go out again.
keeping paws crossed

Author Topic: Please help me find Grapelli - his owner is 3 and 1/2 with special needs and heartbroken- FOUND!!!! (Read 45312 times)