6 days. My pet cat, Cadbury; a flat-nosed, orange-white Persian whom I treasure like my own daughter was missing for 6 days. The worst part was that I learned it was STOLEN from my very porch. 6 days ago, my friends and relatives came over to my house for Raya. It was supposed to be a simple day and another simple Raya until I realized that the door was wide open and my cat was nowhere to be seen.
The thing about Cadbury is that she likes to wander outside a lot despite being a housecat and it seemed normal for her to walk out and stroll around casually… until she didn’t come back. After 2 days of telling myself that she will come back like she always will, I started to panic and began a massive frantic search all over my neighbourhood to find her again.
The Search
I looked quite literally everywhere my hands can reach. I’d put up posters on street lights, vacant tree spaces and even blasted on Facebook pages for Lost and Found pets… but to no avail. It was truly depressing and anxiety kicked in every moment of every day.
Believing that she was lost somewhere and couldn’t come home, I searched early in the morning under people’s cars, drains and even vacant houses but with every passing search, I grew more sad and disappointed.
Refuse To Surrender
Meanwhile, my family has this theory that she was “catnapped” which I didn’t really favour because knowing humans and the type of cat she is, they would either keep her in a confined space like a museum statue or sell her off as an exotic cat for a high price.
I refused to accept the fact that my treasured cat is taken by someone else and continued my search. Sometimes, I would go on foot and call out her name, “Cadbury, let’s go home, baby!” which she typically always reply to and would always run home to… but to no avail.
Renewed Spirit
I looked day and night. Went through every corner of my residential Taman and even went as far as other residential Taman and asked around, “have you seen this cat?” (I had pictures of her wherever I went) but none saw her. In one part or another, I would be facing all manners of animals that would be similar to my Cadbury but none of them were my cat…
To make matters worse, I heard a lot of stories about dead babies from bad caretakers after 2 days of being missing, children being found in caves after 10 days of being stuck down there and pets being trafficked to illegal exotic collectors… I felt like crying. But if one thing that has not failed me in all my years is my gut feeling. That instinct that tells me my Cadbury is still very much alive and nearby. I wouldn’t give in to false stories in my head and I WILL find my cat again!
Lost But Now Found
This frantic search of mine went on until Thursday but by then, I was starting to come to terms with the disappearance of my cat… perhaps she is in better hands than mine? Perhaps she is already dead and washed away somewhere (it has been raining quite a lot) or perhaps she was eaten completely and doesn’t have to suffer any further in this terrible world.
Until the sunset lights shone on the streets a cat with a bushy orange tail climbing out of a gateway… while chasing another cat on the street. I stopped my motorcycle in the middle of the street and called out to her. She was thin and dirty like she hasn’t eaten in days and there was a silver collar around her which made it clear someone had taken her; a few patches on her fur showed she had attempted to flee a few times before.
Like a climax of a movie, she paused to stare at me and jogged towards me while meowing and purring to my hands just as she always had. I have never felt more happy or alive!
Everyone discouraged me, everyone didn’t bother to lift a finger to help and everyone just loved to criticize on how I’m the bad owner for letting her wander off like that… But in the end, I was the one who found her and brought her home.
Never Gave Up
I don’t know who took her as the house she crawled out of had no cars but I knew someone lived in it. The house wasn’t too far from mines but I couldn’t care less about it, all that mattered to me was that my Cadbury is home. The catnapper will be dealt with eventually…
Despite all the challenges, all the negativity and all the times when it was clear I should just give up and get a new cat, I answered with determination and an unbreakable will that I will find my cat again. Imagine if your real-life daughter was taken from you in front of your own house, would you not do the same?
Focus, determination and love for my cat are the reasons to bring my cat home, dead or alive… and nothing was going to stop me.
