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Otis - LONG - reflections on finding him
I'm so glad you are reunited again. I do hope Otis stays home from now on.
Best wishes, -- Polonca & Soncek "Susan M" wrote in message om... Hi all: This whole heart-wrenching experience really has had me thinking. snip |
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Wonderful story! I am so glad you finally found him. About fifteen
years ago in heavy winter, I saw a huge white cat with green eyes in this condo area (cats not allowed). I noticed a collar, so I started calling local cat rescue groups. I also put out food.I later learned of another local group, so called them. Within the hour they called back to say a lady had called in to report her lost big white cat with green eyes. Then she called me. I told her I knew he would return because I had been feeding him. Early the next morning I set out in the snow calling "Oliver". I followed cat foot prints in the snow to the northeast cul-de- sac. This time when I called his name, I heard a noise and then saw him come over a fence. Calling his name repeatedly I approached and picked him up. He must have weighed 20 pounds. This was quite a long way from my unit. and he was heavy to carry, but I got him home. The lady next door took him in as my Siamese (illegal) would have freaked out. When the owner came to get him, I discovered she lived about two miles away .This was on a heavily travelled street too. I also found out that "Oliver" had just recovered from broken hip surgery. My neighbor and I gave her the "word" about keeping him inside. Thanks for bringing back that memory and, again good luck. MLB Susan M wrote: Hi all: This whole heart-wrenching experience really has had me thinking. First, let me just tell you where he was found relative to our new and old houses. To get to where he was he had to cross a large off-leash dog area, which is patrolled by coyotes at night. Then, he had to walk a mile in unfamiliar territory to get to this group of houses where he stayed for three days. It was across another busy street that he would have found our old house. Amazing. One of the things that really amazes me is the way all these little things fell together to allow me to find him. First, I made the poster up at 5 AM Tuesday morning, when I finally accepted that he wasn't going to just stroll home. As soon as the vet clinic opened, I showed it to the locum vet, who is just there a couple of days a month. He happened to work through lunch that day and go for a late 2 PM walk by the clinic and catch a glimpse of Otis. If it hadn't been for that, I would never have hand delivered the 200 flyers that I did to that part of the neighbourhood. It was just too far away from where we'd lost him. Otis was also wearing a collar with a big purple heart on it. He has a twin cat in that part of the neighbourhood that was also spotted - what kept me believing that it was actually Otis that people had seen was the fact that they had noticed the heart. Then, I forced myself to talk to these hoodlum looking BMX biker kids who turned out to be sweet guys and who also spotted Otis. This kept up my hope. A bunch of people let me put cat food in their yards. Then, all these people called, culminating in the two young boys actually spotting his final hiding place. If any one of those things had not happened, I might not have found him. Second, I forced myself to talk to all kinds of people. While a reasonably well-adjusted person, an introvert I remain! But for Otis, anything! I discovered that there are piles of incredibly nice empathetic people out there. It was really heart warming and a great antidote to the evening news. Two people phoned wihout any news at all but just to express their sympathy and hope that I would find him. I stopped by one those people house after I found Otis just to let them know. They invited me in and I got to see their beautiful cats and now we know some great new neighbours. Out of all the people I talked to, there was only one grumpy person - but I felt that I could even bring around this grumpy old man, who eventually took my poster and agreed to call if he saw anything. Third, I was buoyed by the support and understanding from rpca *yet again*. You all really understand and to know that there are people sending their thoughts really helps somehow. I always thought that I'd be the sort of person who would, in the midst of terrible pain and grief at losing a kitty best friend, immediately adopt another cat. My heart has lots of love in it and there are so many cats to save and shower with that love. I also thought that Chester would really step up to the plate if Otis was gone. Otis really pushes him around and Chester is most affectionate when Otis is not around. Chester is certainly and always an angel wrapped in fluffy cat fur but he is Chester and not Otis. Chester will sleep on the end of the bed but gets prowly and plays by himself all night. He may grace you with a half our of fur on arm contact in the AM but that's all. He has fierce bouts of affection about 5 times a day for sure though. I went up to the SPCA and saw all the kitties for adoption there. They were beautiful (six identical carmel coloured 6 week old kittens, one 30 pound black short haired *not fat* black cat that looked like a bear cub) and, with the exception of one crazy kitten that kept trying to snag me through the bars, I couldn't bear the thought of them instead of Otis. I guess what I'm trying to say, is that I couldn't believe how much I missed *Otis*. He is a total pain in the ass but balances that by being an incredibly attached and involved cat. I could manage to pretend to get through the days ok when he was gone but any time that I saw a picture of him or imagined him cold and wet in the hailstorms we had, I started crying all over again. I felt for all of you all over again whose kitties have gone to the RB and couldn't believe how much it could hurt. When we brought him back, he hid under the furniture from my mom and Fred but came out when I sat down. He sat behind me on the sofa and put his paw so that it touched my shoulder. When I turned sideways and put my arm out by him, he rested his head in total surrender on my arm and purred. Last night, he jumped up, tapped me on the shoulder, and curled up purring and purring and purring. He is sitting watching me type right now looking kind of resigned. He'd rather go to sleep and cuddle. I'd better go do what he is directing me to do. Thanks again, Susan M. Otis and Chester |
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