Just a little background information: PJ and Nuki are kittens that we sold many years ago to a lovely couple in Myrtle Beach. Peter and Nancy, thank you so much for sharing this wonderfully, funny story with us. I hope all fans and friends enjoy your story and that PJ does not have a repeat performance! Carol of Carolina Blues Cattery
PJ’s Adventure- A Lost Cat Finally Returns Home
On Sunday evening, August 28, 2011 we lost our male Siamese, PJ. We take the cats for a short walk around our cul-de-sac and always on a leash. PJ broke away from my hold and started to run down the cart path toward 16 tee box. I chased after him into the woods and that was the last that we saw of him for over two weeks. We were very worried for his safety for he is a house cat and had never been out on his own. The next morning we found his break away collar and leash in the woods. For the next two weeks we frantically search day and night for him with no luck. Our chances of finding him seem to get slimmer and slimmer with each passing day. The Tidewater community really got into the search for PJ. After sending out an email to the community… everyone was looking for PJ- daily morning and evening walkers and bikers, golf course workers, golf rangers and cart girls, pro shop, security gate, and workers at the fitness center. On the tenth day, one of the Tidewater greens workers, spotted him by the bag drop area at the clubhouse at 5:45 am. I talked to the worker and it definitely was PJ. That boosted our morale. We knew he was alive and in the area! We had done research on the internet and along with conversations with other people who had lost cats, and came to the following conclusions. Cats will probably stay within a six house area from their home, they go into a survival mode, hunkering down during the day and only moving if they are attacked or surprised, will not response to their owner’s calls, a come out during the early evening and early morning hours. We placed our smelly clothes around the yard along with some of his favorite toys, and placed food and water on our front porch and screen porch. The only animals we attracted were raccoons and a stray cat which we named “Mooch”. Soon Mooch was appearing every night for his dole, sometimes waiting outside our house as we left for work. It was becoming very frustrating. Finally we got a break, Saturday night around eleven, Nancy was in our bedroom (we had the curtains drawn open to see the screen porch) and she spotted PJ in our screen porch. He came back a total of three times that night, but how were we going to catch him? Sunday morning (start of the third week) we called North Myrtle Beach Animal Control and within a half hour they were at our house with an animal trap. After getting instructions and some helpful hints we set the trap that evening. We contacted all our neighbors and told them not to put out any food. We wanted only one food source..OURS! Our hopes were high, but again PJ tricked us. We spotted him early that evening in our screen porch, but he quickly darted away. Later that night we checked the trap (it was covered with one of PJ’s favorite blankets). The blanket was moved and it triggered the trap…foiled again. We reset the trap only to catch a raccoon around 3:30 am. Monday morning we were having breakfast with our house guests, Sue and Tony, when to our surprise we saw PJ sitting in our backyard looking at us!. Nancy quickly ran outside to try and lure him into the screen porch ( I was hiding there to close the door on him). PJ did not respond to Nancy’s call and scurried away down the cart path. That evening we were having a party at our house. Sitting in the dining room around 7:30, PJ appeared in the driveway and looked right at us and then ran off into the woods. At the party the guests suggested different ideas on how to catch the cat. One idea was to attach a rope to the screen door handle, wait patiently for the cat to go for the food and then pull the rope that would close the door. On Tuesday morning we spotted PJ next to our neighbor’s big stucco house by the 17th green. That would be the last time we would see him for the rest of the week. We spent hours manning the “door rope” approach during the rest of the week with no success. At night , when we went to bed, we reverted to the animal trap. We did catch a second raccoon and a feral cat. We were started to give up hope. Nancy starting wearing a hope bracelet and our friends were saying their nightly prayers to St Jude and St Francis. By the weekend (end of three weeks) we noticed three times that the food on the plate inside the trap was eaten clean but the trap did not go off. I called Animal Control on Sunday, September 18 for an explanation. Raccoons were too large and squirrels were too “squirrelly” not to have set off the trap. Animal Control said it could be a long, skinny cat that could reach over the trip mechanism. Animal Control told us be patient and suggested that we sprinkle some catnip around the trap and the porch area. We also got a call from the Tidewater “cat whisperer” who suggested that we don’t set out food for several days, making him hungry, and forcing him to enter the trap for food. That Sunday afternoon, Ron a very close friend of ours, set up a web camera to use as surveillance. We would receive email pictures on our iPad while Ron monitored the camera from his home. We were determined to catch PJ tonight! We started our “door rope” watch until about 9 pm. No luck, although Ron saw a quick entrance by an unidentified animal. Wanting to watch the Eagle-Falcon game, we gave up on the door rope and set the animal trap. Around 11 pm Nancy was ready to go to bed . She checked the porch one last time…and there was PJ! PJ was sitting there calmly by the entrance to the animal trap. Nancy quickly told me and the plan was for me to sneak around the outside of the house and slam the porch door, thus trapping PJ inside. On my first attempt I thought I saw the cat run off from the patio into the woods. I returned dejectedly only to find out that PJ was still there. Again I snuck around the house as quietly as possible, knowing that one slight loud noise could spook the cat. I thought of Grant Turner‘s(the Alabama Theatre comedian) Christmas tactic on sneaking up on Santa Claus. With light footsteps and moving very slowly I got to about eight feet from the door without detection. Then with a burst of speed (remembering how quick I was in my youth) I was able to close the door and trap PJ. PJ hardly moved… it was like, okay I’ve been away for three weeks and it’s time to come home. PJ quickly gobbled up two plates of food that we gave to him along with some cat treats, purring all the time. We thought that he would be wacky, but he instantly accepted us like nothing had happened for three weeks. He was battered up pretty good, probably from a cat or squirrel fight. He had some major cuts on his feet, eye, ear and back. He was skinny (lost about 20% weight), but otherwise in pretty good shape. That night I stayed with PJ on the screen porch until 2:35 am, constantly brushing his fur and thanking God that our beloved Siamese had returned to us. Next morning we made an appointment with our vet. The vet assured us that PJ was in good health. His battle scars occurred over two weeks ago and were healing naturally and there was no sign of infection. He lost a lot of weight but he was a very lucky cat. After receiving a penicillin shot it was back to the house. Unfortunately, we now have a new problem. Nuki, PJ’s sister, was quite upset. When PJ tried to make contact with Nuki, Nuki hissed and ran away. Nuki has gone into her own little world, refusing to have any contact with PJ and hiding from us. She did not sleep with us last night (PJ most certainly did) . Today she continues to isolate herself and just a while ago attacked PJ with her claws. Hopefully, with some time, they will get back together. During PJ’s absence, Nuki became even more loveable with us. It was like she actually enjoyed not having PJ around. Oh well, only time will tell. It had been a stressful three weeks. At least we have PJ back home. PJ and Nuki will never see the light of day again! I think I am now qualified to earning a degree in cat psychology.
To us it appears that during the three week absence, Nuki became the “queen bee” and loved all the attention. She became extremely affectionate during this time. It seemed that Nuki did not miss PJ. We had house guests and she sat on their laps and show much more attention to Peter. Previously, PJ was Peter’s lap and Nuki was Nancy’s lap. It seems that the house is now her territory and she wants to continue to be dominant, refusing to accept PJ. With each passing day Nuki appears to be accepting the presence of PJ but wants to remain in charge.
Thanks
Peter & Nancy
