A missing cat story

Just about the only relative of mine I keep in regular touch with is a aunt who lives in the next town. She always phoned my mum one week and mum called her back the next till mum died, and somehow we've carried on doing the same ever since.

My aunt is in her early 80's now and lives alone as her husband died a year or so back. Her health isn't good, the usual age related heart issues, etc, so when a neighbours cat semi adopted her a good few years ago she was glad of the company. The cat is called Sophie, seemingly a big, fat, soft ginger and white moggie, who used to spend more time with my aunt than at her real home.

Her owners often ignored any health issues Sophie had, most times it was down to my aunty to pester them into taking her to the vet, but eventually they did. Things got worse when a baby arrived, they didn't want Sophie in the house, but at least she would always get a warm welcome and food from my aunty.

From what she has told me over the past couple of months, Sophie has more health issues, mainly with going to the toliet, but at 14 years old I guess this type of thing is to be expected, but she seemed happy enough and wasn't in pain/was eating ok.

Sophie disappeared 3 weeks ago, and for a cat who never ventured far beyond her garden and my anuties house, it was very strange. A week ago my aunt had a mini stroke so is pretty much housebound while waiting for a house swap to a flat, and being cooped up like this she's really missing Sophies company.

She's asked her owners if they've heard anything/found her dead somewhere, but sadly nothing. It's possible (likely) she's died outside and has just been found and disposed of by the council, without a collar and ID, they'd have no way of knowing who she belonged to.

I've never set eyes on Sophie, but just as we all seem to know each others cats thro' reading about them here, I feel the same after hearing my aunt tell me about her for so long.

It might be a bit late for this, tho' hopefully not, but any *Come home Sophie* vibes will be much appreciated.

Ian

how sad, both for your aunt and Sophie, I think you may be right though Ian, 3 weeks in a long time forr a 14 year old cat to go missing. BUT never to be too pessimistic I'm sending massive huge *come home Sophie* vibes out there. Really hope this has a happy ending and I hope your aunt's health improves too Ian.

Thanks Kath,

Yeah, 3 weeks is a long time for a cat of that age to go missing and I fear the worst. She only had three intrests in life, eating, sleeping and sitting on someones lap, purring her head off and my aunt would just like to know, one way or the other.

As for health, reading between the lines, it sounds like she hasn't got long left herself tbh. There's been a succession of things over the past 12 months, each one worse than the last. The risk of a stroke is multiplied once you've had the first, and even tho' hers was only a mini stroke, at her age the next one could be it

She feels a bit guilty as the last time she saw Sophie was on a Tuesday morning, but she wouldn't let her in as she was going out herself, and said yesterday if she had let her in, perhaps Sophie wouldn't have just vanished, or even if she'd died, at least it would have been in familiar surroundings.

Ian

Oh your poor aunty, at eighty we just have to hope for the best really as for feeling guilty regarding Sophie, well it's understandable but hasn't everyone at one point wished they had/hadn't done something.

Oh no, so very sad for Sophie and your aunty. Im so glad she had your aunty for so long, as if there is one thing I DETEST, is people who were previously "cat lovers", then have brats (sorry, I meant kids ) and then cant be bothered with them. *RAGE*.
It would be nice if there was a happy ending for Sophie, but, like you say, she was an old girl in failing health.
*come home vibes* to Sophie and *get well vibes* to your aunty. xx

Chunkyboy wrote:Oh no, so very sad for Sophie and your aunty. Im so glad she had your aunty for so long, as if there is one thing I DETEST, is people who were previously "cat lovers", then have brats (sorry, I meant kids ) and then cant be bothered with them. *RAGE*.
It would be nice if there was a happy ending for Sophie, but, like you say, she was an old girl in failing health.
*come home vibes* to Sophie and *get well vibes* to your aunty. xx

Yeah, it's doubly annoying because her owners, the husband anyway, is training to be a priest, but there wasn't much *christianity* shown towards Sophie. They'd often go away and get a lad to feed her, that'd be ok-ish but he had to leave food for her outside for all the other neibourhood cats to eat if she didn't get there first If it wasn't for my aunts house she would have had no shelter till they got back

They've tried to persuade my aunt to take her on more than once, which she would have happily done if she'd been younger and in better health herself, but that and her age, plus ever more frequent hospital visits/stays, she just couldn't do.

Teddy wrote:Oh your poor aunty, at eighty we just have to hope for the best really as for feeling guilty regarding Sophie, well it's understandable but hasn't everyone at one point wished they had/hadn't done something.

I know, and I told her yesterday she'd done more for Sophie than a lot of people would have done.

Ian

God, Im RAGING! They left her outside and her food when they went away? Why the f*&ck do people like that even have pets?
As for "christianity", well suffice to say Im afraid I dont trust "religious types" and their holier than thou/superior attitudes.

Chunkyboy wrote:God, Im RAGING! They left her outside and her food when they went away? Why the f*&ck do people like that even have pets?

In their *defence*, they knew she'd be staying with my aunt if she couldn't get in at home, but they never made arrangements for this.

As for "christianity", well suffice to say Im afraid I dont trust "religious types" and their holier than thou/superior attitudes.

Very true, tho' that's another topic altogether.

I'm glad you didn't pull me up on my not so deliberate mistake, I meant to say training as a vicar not a priest tho' I put training as a Bishop at first but that didn't seem right I didn't realise I'd said priest till 4.15, when a "You idiot, priest don't marry" (do they?) thought just popped into my head

Ian

HA! and I was so engrossed in my RAGING I didnt even pick up on that. Och well, priest/vicar/blah blah ..........

I phoned my aunt today and sadly there's still been no sight of Sophie

Seemingly the owners have been out and looked everywhere they could think of, knocked on lots of doors and asked people to check their garages and sheds, phoned the local vets to see if she'd been brought in injured but nothing, so I think the worst has happened.

I told her she could mention to her owners that calling the local council might help. If Sophie had been found dead and collected/disposed of by them, perhaps they keep records, tho' as she wasn't chipped and had no ID or even a collar on (she kept losing them) that may be a long shot after so long.

My aunt is still feeling guilty about not letting Sophie in that Tuesday as she's not been seen since, even tho' she went out calling for her when she got back home a couple of hours later.

Ian

Doesn't look good. Isn't there some fable about cats disappearing to go and die in private, I seem to remember being told this, so if so maybe that's what she's done, knew her time was near and took fate into her own paws. God I'm filling up here. I feel for your aunt though I think we would all feel exactly the same.

So sorry to hear that nothing has been heard of dear Sophie. Looks like the poor girl did go off, like you said Kath. Bless her. As long as she is at peace now eh. I feel so sad for your Aunt Ian, as no matter how much you tell her (or any of us told her if we could), she will carry a bit of guilt about her forever. Darn this guilt that us humans cant seem to live without!
(Ian, I hope you have passed on our comments to your Aunt, it doesnt change anything, but will hopefully give her a little comfort/support that she hasnt done anything wrong).

I told her after all she did for Sophie over the years, she's got nothing to feel guilty about, but I can see why she does.

*If* she'd let her in that Tuesday, then come home to find her dead, she would know what happened but would still be wishing she hadn't gone out and be thinking, just maybe she would have been able to get her to the vets in time.

Ian

it's all if and but's and maybes, she needs to forgive herself really, and realise that there probably nothing she could havedone, Sophie ws old. But it's the not knowing what has happened and where she is that's difficult to accept.

Very true Kath.

Ian

Chunkyboy wrote:God, Im RAGING! They left her outside and her food when they went away? Why the f*&ck do people like that even have pets?
As for "christianity", well suffice to say Im afraid I dont trust "religious types" and their holier than thou/superior attitudes.

Me too WHY have any animal if you don't give them 100% care and love? And as for religious types.....you'll often find their religious values only extend to their fellow humans as animals are classed as lesser beings and just not important

I feel SO sorry for your aunt Ian - it's so easy to feel guilty and beat yourself up about something you didn't do I still do it over my darling Tina

Sending LOTS of (((COME HOME SOPHIE VIBES))) Got everything crossed that your aunt hears some news soon...even if it is bad. At least then she will have some sort of closure

Hi Gilly,

Thanks, but I fear she's gone.

I won't hear anything till next Wednesday (our regular chat day) when it's my aunts turn to phone me, assuming her health has held up that long.

'EDIT'

I've just been reading a post over at CW from someone asking for help in tracing their lost Cream Colour point Persian. She's called Phoebe and has been gone 3 weeks but has no collar/ID and wasn't chipped either, I can just about understand someone not bothering with these for a moggie, but with a pedigree, even if they're only a house cat????

Still, here's some come home vibes for Phoebe as well.

Ian

Yes, it just beggars belief The first thing I did when I got my whippet Tina was book her in to be microchipped. We also had her ear tattooed as well as I was just terrified of losing her or her being stolen.
Merlin & Tabitha were microchipped too. It was part of the requirements as we got them from Cats Protection but TBH we would have had them done anyway