Ref: http://myanimalcare.org/2009/10/19/we-found-cleo/
On 19th October 2009, I did one of the stupidest things ever - I brought Cleo to the vet without using a carrier thinking I could carry her into the clinic. Also, Cleo hated being in the carrier and fought when I tried to put her in. So, I thought I'd just carry her instead of stressing her out.
My cats seldom went to the clinic, and being home-pets, I never knew Cleo would run away from me.
We arrived in the car, and outside the clinic was a group of people waiting for transport. I carried Cleo out, and the moment she saw those people, she panicked, kicked off from me, and ran away.
I spent the next few hours looking for Cleo all over that entire housing area. I called and called, the clinic assistants helped, but there was absolutely no sign of her at all.
The clinic was located in SS17 while our (previous) home was in SS19. To get from SS17 back to SS19, one would have to cross that suicide-bound mainroad, and the thought of Cleo trying to get home sent shivers down my spine, and tons and tons of regret for having done something so stupid as not to have used a carrier. Believe me, regret is a horrible, horrible emotion to bear.
By nightfall, my husband came home and he came over to the clinic.
He called for Cleo, and soon, he heard a faint meow.
Then, he called again and waited.
After awhile, Cleo came out.
All along, she had been hiding inside a wooden crate just next to the clinic! She had been there all the time, just too frightened to come out because it was an unfamiliar place.
We put Cleo into the carrier, and took her home and I swore, from that day onwards, I will NEVER bring any cat anywhere out of the house without a carrier EVER again.
I don't know if this story might help us find Ofie.
Maybe Ofie is hiding somewhere. And it would take Connie and her children to call him out, not a stranger. But Ofie is tame and gentle, maybe he might come out. Cleo is a highly cautious cat. Even now, she doesn't quite trust us. Not completely.
Cleo was born in Ming-Yi's wardrobe and she grew up in our house, but when she was lost that day, even I could not call her out (maybe she was angry I had brought her to an unfamiliar place). It took my husband to get her to come out because he's her favourite person.
The night we found Cleo and brought her home.
Miracles do happen, sometimes.
And throughout those few hours that Cleo was missing from home, someone was keeping vigil:
http://myanimalcare.org/2009/10/19/and-through-it-all/
2 comments:
Thank you so much with this post. BB wasn't back for past 2+ days and earlier I did tried to look for him but couldn't find. After reading your post, yesterday I went again to find him by calling his name. It was a relief when i heard a reply ..a soft reply ...mewed mewed. Finally BB was found and bring home yesterday from the opposite garden. :-)
I'm so glad the post helped. For those who have just lost their pets, try going to the place when it is quiet (at night or early in the morning), your pet might just be hiding there, somewhere nearby.
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