Misty is Missing
Two weeks ago yesterday I was sitting by the sliding glass door keeping an eye on Misty while she took her ease outside in the back yard – something we do often, since she cannot be a true in-and-out cat any more. One minute I saw her snoozing there and was talking with my mom and then I looked out the window again and she was gone. I went all around the neighborhood calling her and shaking her bag of treats, but she was nowhere to be found.
Since then I’ve posted flyers, paid a phone service to call my neighbors, stuffed flyers in mailboxes up and down my street, called/facebooked/emailed all the animal shelters and animal control and vets, and there has still been no sign of her. I even called Search and Rescue because someone told me that sometimes they will come look for lost pets if their dogs need practice/training, but they didn’t ever call me back.
I cannot imagine what happened to her that night, but it doesn’t seem like it could possibly have been anything good. People are telling me stories of animals that were returned after being missing for weeks or months, so I am not giving up hope. But I would be silly not to realize it is probably a long shot, particularly because of her age and need for medication.
She was only just starting to gain back some weight after her most recent bout of not-eating that she did for a couple weeks.  I worry that if someone found her they would probably think she is abandoned and/or starved.
I am so heartbroken. I miss her so much every day.
If anyone on this site is in Davenport, FL or Polk County let me know and I will give you flyers if you want to post them.
I will post here if I hear anything.
July 17, 2015 @ 12:14 am
I am so sorry for sweet Misty disappearance, I wish there were something I could do to help you find her. I can truly imagine your awful heartache of not knowing where she is, so I will only think positive and pray she comes back to you very soon.
Keeping you and her in my thoughts,
Bonnie & Angel Polly
July 17, 2015 @ 3:24 am
Oh Nooooo! We are so sorry our Misty has gone missing!! WTH?!?!?! Sending lots and lots of Tripawd strength and juju and good vibes and whatever else we can think of to reunite you with Misty.
xoxoxo,
Codie Rae and the Oaktown Pack with all Lucky 13 Paws crossed for Misty’s safe return!!!
July 17, 2015 @ 5:44 am
We’re gathering up all the pawsitive energy of the whole tripawd community to bring Misty home safe and sound!
You jave done…and are continuing to do…everything possible to spread the word. I agree with your friends about not giving up hope. Cats are notorious for showing up later…much later, after “missing”!
I would continue calling shelters and animal control, vets, etc. Sometimes they can let things slip through the cracks and not check out every new arrival with the list of owner looking for them.
I know it is torture, absolute torture, when an animal goes “missing”. I know this will sound whacky, but keep visualizing her safe return home. IF someone did find her…IF…and they kept her,they would be the type who would take her to a vet and have her checked out. Guess I’m trying to say, if someone found her, they woukd take care of her. I know you want her home though
Keeping all paws crossed for Misty’s return to you. Sending you love and hope..
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!
July 17, 2015 @ 5:34 pm
No WAY! Oh my gosh you guys. We’re so sorry, and are worried and sad for both of you. We’re mustering up all the Tripawds love and hope in the universe so she gets home safely. Will keep sharing this in social media too. Please keep us posted OK? You’re both in our hearts.
July 18, 2015 @ 5:53 am
This is so sad and stressful for you. Mona broke out of the house and was gone for over 24 hours only a few days after her surgery. I was numb and went to every neighbour on the block asking them to call me if they see her. Three legs,stitches and staples, easy to identify.
My co-workers contacted the radio stations, listed her missing on facebook pages and even contacted experienced pet finders who have a facebook page. One of the neighbours even phoned with a name of an animal psychic to help find her.
A friend was going to come over with a Jack Russell Terrier to sniff her out and one facebook group was setting up a volunteer search party to look for her when I found her.
All I can suggest is to ask for help; search again starting close to home; put up new posters. Remember people are wonderful and will want to help you find your cat. I’ll be thinking of you. and your sweet Misty.
Kerren and Tripawd Mona
July 23, 2015 @ 8:55 pm
Still no word of Misty, not a single peep. I think if she were wandering the neighborhood someone would’ve seen her by now. So I am hoping maybe someone took her in and either hasn’t seen or is choosing not to respond to my flyers.
This weekend I went in person to the two closest animal shelters, and last night I went around the neighborhood again handing out flyers and urging everyone to talk to our other neighbors about her.
I wonder if it would make any sense to call the rental companies that offer vacation homes in our development. Maybe she got into one of their houses and nobody has been there to notice her yet. I REALLY hope she did not get trapped somewhere without food/water. In any case I cannot imagine a scenario where her not coming back inside that night was due to any reason that would not be horrible for her – the only question is to what degree and for how long.
Thank you guys for all the positive words, I really appreciate it. It is hard to think positive, and I am not really sure whether thinking positive is realistic, especially as more and more time passes and she hasn’t turned up. But people keep telling me stories about animals who went missing and turned up weeks or months later. So I am going to keep searching. I am not sure for how long, but I am not ready to give up yet.
But I have without being able to help it started grieving too. I forced myself to clean up the downstairs where most of her blankets and litterboxes and things are, by inviting a friend over who is allergic to cats. He ended up cancelling due to illness, but I would have kept making myself excuses to leave everything out if I didn’t HAVE to.
I brought Misty’s food and litter with me when I went to the animal shelters and donated them. IF she comes back I can always buy more and I would be so happy to do so! I kept one can of food and one bag of treats so if she were to turn up late at night I would have something for her. And a little litter in one litterbox.
I have bagged up all her blankets and not washed them – if I do find someone with a dog willing to try and sniff her out, I will still have them with her scent on them. I put one blanket outside beside the sliding glass door. They say it might help her scent her way home. And I walk through the grass to leave my scent when I am going around the neighborhood looking for her and handing out flyers.
I wish I could think of some way to find out what happened to her and know whether she is still out there or if she is gone. I hate not knowing. Grieving feels like giving up, but searching feels like denial.
Sorry, I think this was probably babbly and repetitive, but I can’t really help it.
July 28, 2015 @ 10:07 pm
Babble all you want, I can’t imagine how hard this is, I’m so sorry.
We’ve been tweeting and watching it retweeted all over the place, but she’s still missing? We are soooo sad, our hearts are broken.
Our paws will remain crossed and we hope with all our hearts that she turns up. You really do never know. But however you decide to cope, remember that nobody will judge you, this is such a hard situation.
{{{{hugs}}}}}