Five More Join The Lost Kitty Club

Disciples of Otis,

Brother Oliver here.

The Guardians have not taken many walks in the neighborhood this summer, so they have not been bringing home as many lost cat poster photos as usual. I guess since Sir T, Brother H, and I have not been seeing the posters as often as usual we were kind of feeling like maybe there aren’t as many kitties going missing these days. We were wrong. the Guardians went for a walk in the neighborhood recently and found that the number of kitties going missing has not gone down. In fact, they came home with photos of posters that proved that at least five cats have disappeared in the recent past!

The first poster was badly weathered from recent rain. It announced that two kitties, one named Nala and the other possibly named Louie (it was hard to tell due to the water droplets obscuring the name), are missing. The fading images on the poster made us all very sad.

Nala and Louie are missing. We purr they are someplace safe.

Many Posters, One Cat

Disciples of The Leader Otis,

Brother Henry here.

The Guardians have been out and about in the neighborhood again and have discovered three new lost cat posters. At first, when Brother Oliver, Sir Thomas, and I heard this we thought “Oh no! Three more cats have gone missing!” As it turns out though, there were three different posters, but all for the same cat. The first poster simply said “Lost Cat!” and it had a photo of a Bengal kitty and a phone number to call if you have seen him.

The first poster just said “lost cat!” and had a photo and a number.

We Still Have Work To Do In 2015

Disciples of The Leader Otis,

Brother Henry here.

All of us here in The Cult’s inner circle were hoping that 2014 would be the year that all humans finally agreed that cats should not be allowed to roam free in the world without walls. We hoped that lost cat posters would be a thing of the past since all domestic kitties in the world would finally be safely confined by responsible Guardians. Unfortunately, as the poster the Guardians discovered today can attest, we seem to have fallen short of that goal.

The Guardians discovered this poster today. Norton is missing and we purr that he is someplace safe.

Brother Oliver remains optimistic, pointing out that Norton probably went missing in 2014 and this poster may be the last one we ever see. I don’t believe that is the case. I think we still have a lot of work to do before our dream that every cat is happy, healthy, and safely confined is realized. Whoever is right, I know we will need to remain ever-vigilant if we are to make lost cat posters a thing of the past, and we hope you will continue to join us as we attempt to create a better, safer world for all feline-kind!

So Says Brother Henry

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Pat The Cat Is Missing

Disciples of The Leader Otis,

Brother Henry here.

The Guardians have found yet another lost cat poster during their travels through the neighborhood. This time the missing kitty is named Pat the Cat, and he has not been seen by his people since August 5.

Pat the Cat is missing. We purr he is someplace safe.

These posters are always sad, but I hope that they are also motivation for cat guardians to become true Guardians. A true Guardian always keeps his or her kitty safely confined. This does not mean that kitty needs to be locked up in the house never to see the light of day. It just means that the kitty should always be provided with safe boundaries, be they the walls of an outdoor enclosure, a harness and leash, or a yard with kitty-proof fencing.

There are many ways to keep kitty safe while still allowing him or her to get sunlight an fresh air. It just requires a little human creativity to create the safe boundaries. And if you use your creativity now to keep your kitty safe, then you won’t need to use your creativity later to create the posters announcing that your kitty has been lost. That seems like a no-brainer to me!

So Says Brother Henry

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Lost Kitty Season Is In Full Swing

Disciples of The Leader Otis,

Brother Henry here.

I’m sad to say that, with the warm summer weather, lost kitty season is now in full swing. One of the Guardian’s was out and about today and he came home with photos of three new sad-inducing posters.

The first poster was for a kitty that has been missing since the weather first turned warm back in June. The photo shows the kitty sitting outside with no apparent enclosure, which made it even easier for the poor kitty to go missing. There was nothing to keep him in, and nothing to keep danger out.

This poor handsome kitty is still missing. I purr that he is alive, well, and someplace safe.

Good Signs

Disciples of Otis,

Brother Oliver here.

The Guardians were out and about in the neighborhood today and once again they brought home photos of signs that were posted on telephone poles. But this time the signs were not as depressing because they showed that our neighbors are looking out for kitties! The first sign showed a handsome Orange Tabby that two kind people had found. They were trying to help him find his people.

Two kind people found this handsome boy. They are trying to find his family.

The second sign was a warning meant to help keep both dogs and cats safe from a common danger. See, we kitties and small dogs… what Thomas?… Oh… yes, I know wiener dogs are small dogs… anyway, we kitties and wiener dogs… I mean… any small dogs… are seen as prey by coyotes, eagles, bobcats, and a number of other wild predators. Someone saw a coyote in their neighborhood and posted a sign to let dog and cat guardians know about it.

A neighbor posted this sign in an attempt to encourage others to keep their pets safe.

In reality, the sign should have said, “Car, mean person, toxin, wild predator, dog, cat, and countless other dangers warning in this area! Keep small dogs and cats safely confined at all times and keep dogs and cats on leash if you take them outside.” It’s a little wordier, but much more comprehensive than the poster above. Still, the fact that people are thinking about kitty (and dog) safety and sharing it with others at all is something to celebrate! So, if you will excuse me, I’m off to find myself some celebratory catnip.

In Otis’s Name,

Brother Oliver

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More Kitties Go Missing

Disciples of Otis,

Brother Oliver here. The other day, when the Guardians brought home the photo of the lost chicken poster, they also brought home photos of two lost cat posters. The first was a handwritten note with no photo, but the words say everything you need to know about what can happen when a kitty is not safely confined.

A white and gray, long-haired kitty is missing. I purr he is someplace safe.

The second post the Guardians photographed announced that Pablo is missing. According to the poster, Pablo is less than a year old and may not be “street smart”. Brother Henry, Sir Thomas, and I were trying to figure out if people really believe a cat can become “street smart”.  Sir Thomas said, “I lived on the street for a year. I did not become ‘street smart’, I just became afraid all the time. There is nothing smart about letting your cat roam the streets.” Brother Henry and I agreed.

Pablo is missing. I purr he is safe.

I hope these are the last missing cat posters that ever have to be made, but unless there is a sudden, significant change in human thinking and behavior I know they will not be. Please do your part to ensure that your own kitties never join the ranks of the missing, and please continue to join us in our efforts to keep all cats happy, healthy, and safely confined.

In Otis’s name,

Brother Oliver

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KP And Abby Are Missing

Disciples of Otis,

Brother Oliver here.

I am sad to report that two more kitties have gone missing and are now featured on posters hung around the neighborhood. The first is KP, a kitty that recently moved with his family but disappeared soon afterward. KP’s family believes he may be trying to return to his former home. This is definitely a possibility, and a good reminder that you always need to have a safe confinement plan for your kitty. You should be extra vigilant after moving because your kitty will be very disoriented at first and it will take him or her a while to get used to the new home and new location. Even a cat that is never allowed to roam I’m the world without walls may become a door dasher under these circumstances.

KP is missing. I purr he is someplace safe.

The second missing kitty is a long-haired, golden colored kitty named Abby. She is only 3 years old, and she has been missing since early December.

Abby is lost. I purr that she is found unharmed.

Please join me in sending purrs and positive thoughts out that both of these kitties will be found and brought in from the wilderness. And please continue to join Brother Henry, Thomas, the Guardians, and me in our crusade to ensure that all cats are happy, healthy, and safely confined.

In Otis’s Name,

Brother Oliver

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In The New Year, Some Things Remain The Same

Disciples of Otis,

Brother Oliver here. I would have loved to start off 2014 with an announcement that all cat Guardians in the world have come to the light and are now keeping their kitties safely confined. I would have also loved to say that all telephone poles in our neighborhood are now completely bereft of missing cat posters as a result. But that would not be true.

As the Guardians took a post New Year’s walk in the neighborhood, they discovered that some things remain the same. They first encountered a poster featuring a lost soul named Pippi. This handsome, 13-year-old tuxedo kitty is currently missing.

Pippi is missing. I purr that he is found safe and sound.

As they continued their walk, the Guardians also found a poster heralding the disappearance of Fritz. Fritz has been lost since Christmas Eve.

 

Fritz is missing. I purr that he is someplace safe.

So the cycle of kitties not being given the safe boundaries they need, and those kitties disappearing, continues. But wait. Maybe I am wrong. Both of these kitties actually went missing at the end of 2013, right? Perhaps they are the last two lost cat posters of 2013 instead of the first two of 2014! Maybe people really have changed and once these posters weather away no more will go up! I like that idea. I am going to choose to believe that until I see evidence to the contrary.

I hope you will all help me hold on to this belief by doing your part to keep your kitties safely confined and encouraging your friends and neighbors to do the same. Let’s make 2014 the year that lost cat posters are the only things that are disappearing.

In Otis’s Name

Brother Oliver

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So Many Lost Cat Posters I Have Lost Count

My Disciples,

It’s official. So many lost cat posters have appeared in The Blog of Otis I have lost count. I know it is more than 60, and probably more than 70, and, unfortunately, there are more to add to the total today. I don’t point this out to depress you, but rather to acknowledge the magnitude and ongoing nature of the problem. Clearly people are not choosing to keep their cats safely confined, and both they and the cats are suffering as a result of their choice. It’s time to choose differently, not only for My feline brothers and sisters, but also to prevent psychological suffering among guardians whose cats disappear without a trace. Cats like Kiwi, whose whereabouts are currently unknown.

Kiwi is missing. I purr that he is somewhere safe.

And cat’s like Kirby, whose family misses him and wants him home.

Kirby is missing. I purr that he returns home, and that his family keeps him safe from that day forward.

Or cats like Guy, a handsome black boy who has the misfortune of being missing very close to Halloween, a day that is notoriously bad for black cats.

Guy is missing. I purr that he is found safe.

Or the two, nearly identical black cats that were featured on this badly weathered poster. The person who made the poster says the cats have been hanging around his or her garage since September 10. They have green eyes, are mild mannered, and have no collars.

I purr that the two cats featured in this poster are returned to their family and are thereafter kept safely confined.

Don’t let these posters depress you. Instead use them as motivation to do the right thing for the cats in your life, and to encourage others to do the same. Giving your cat safe boundaries is the loving thing to do. If you have human children, you no doubt do this for them, so please do it for you furry, four-legged kids as well.

So Sayeth Otis

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