GRATITUDE: Lost cat home after four months, and a reminder to others with pets

In 15 years of publishing the only all-West Seattle lost/found-pets webpage, we’ve heard a lot of stories about how pets find their way home. This week, we heard from Shelley, whose cat is home four months after vanishing, and her story carries a reminder for everyone who shares their life with one or more pets:

Almost four months ago we placed a Lost and Found notice in the West Seattle Blog for our kitty, who went missing on June 19th.

The good news is, a kind man named Dale brought her into West Seattle Animal Hospital in Jefferson Square and Dr. Quincy examined her and found she was chipped. A big thank you to the West Seattle Animal Hospital and especially to a West Seattle resident named “Dale” for bringing Natasha back to us. Surprisingly she doesn’t seem to remember us, but I’m sure we can love her back to the way things used to be.

We asked Shelley how Dale had found Natasha: “She had been living near the Sunset area behind his house down in the wooded area, and she would come up and eat his cat’s food. He fell in love with her and thought she was one brave, beautiful kitty, but his own cat was crabby with her. he is an elderly man and so kind to try to catch her and bring her in to the vet to get her checked out.” So the reminder is – be sure your pet is chipped! And be sure the chip information is up to date – we heard recently from another reader who got her dog back because the finders posted here, but might have had a faster reunion if the chip info had been updated – they’d moved over the years.

WSCurmudgeon October 15, 2023 (10:50 am)

Another example of the adage: “Dogs have masters. Cats have staff.”

Steph October 15, 2023 (11:55 am)

I was going to post this on the rave section but hopefully more people will see it here in the comments.Cats have always found their way to my door, usually with a batch of kittens. I’ve rescued and rehomed over 50 cats. Neutered/spayed most of them because it really is true one fertile cat can easily breed hundreds or thousands. At any rate, I currently have two older cats that showed up hungry and hurt. Caring for these is complicated by my own infirmities now and some financial hardships. I was lucky to recently discover the most wonderful organization.Doney Coe Pet Clinic is now operating out of White Center’s Urban Animal facility on Saturday mornings. They provide free veterinary care to low income owners. They coordinate with veterinary schools to provide extra services like neutering, tooth extraction and surgeries. Because of them, these two lovely old cats have been helped. I am so grateful because I can’t afford veterinary care anymore. The patients of the clinic work hard to get care for their pets too! The clinic opens at 9 am. People are in line at 5 am and earlier to get a spot because there are not enough veterinarians to care for everyone who comes. We had a traumatic injury last week and I had to get on my hands and knees with a flashlight to finally find my cat hiding under a cabinet. We didn’t get there until 5:20 which made us 7/8 in line. It was so dark until 7:30. It was cold and rainy and I forgot an umbrella. I’m still not recovered from it. But she got her wound cleaned up quickly and a shot of antibiotics.Some of the pet owners travel long distances to get there. I’ve met people from Woodinville and Tacoma. One elderly woman in a power wheelchair, with spinal injuries made 5 bus transfers with her tiny dogs to get there.If you are looking for a worthy place to donate to I strongly recommend Doney Coe Pet Clinic.

Mkj October 16, 2023 (7:46 pm)

This is amazing, I’m so glad the Doney Coe low income vet clinic exists. I will let people know if they are looking for a good place to donate to. Thank you for providing care to the animals that have crossed your path/come to you. I’m sorry about waiting in the dark & the rain. Maybe a second clinic could be run somewhere or on a second day of the week, I hope they will consider it and with all the wealth in the area it would be unethical if it went unfunded (Gates, Bezos, etc)

Rhonda October 15, 2023 (12:06 pm)

Dale is a true angel.

Julian October 15, 2023 (12:29 pm)

Glad she got her cat back! A lot of people in West Seattle let their cats roam freely outside so I’m surprised this doesn’t happen more often. Where I’m from I never saw that at all. Seems pretty risky although I can see how the cats would enjoy it.

fluffy October 15, 2023 (12:55 pm)

In addition to keeping your cats chipped, it’s also a great idea to keep them indoors, or only let them outside under supervision. There’s a lot of stuff that can go wrong, and your cats deserve to be kept happy and safe.Also, it’s good for the sake of local bird populations.

Marianne October 15, 2023 (1:40 pm)

Is Natasha the kitty that disappeared from the apartments above the PCC? Thank you to Dale for helping her. This is an example of why it is best to not ignore outdoor cats that seem lost and expect them to find their way home.

Seattlite October 15, 2023 (1:42 pm)

A story with a happy ending. Natasha is a beautiful cat.

CatLover October 15, 2023 (2:41 pm)

“Surprisingly she doesn’t seem to remember us…” Thanks for this laugh today. At first I thought oh no, maybe it suffered some type of brain injury while it was missing. But then I remembered it was a cat.

Gill & Alex October 15, 2023 (2:57 pm)

Don’t forget the SOUTHWEST ARTIST SHOWCASE at Seattle’s SW Library. Lot of great local art to check out.!

WSB October 15, 2023 (3:49 pm)

Got that in today’s list!
https://westseattleblog.com/2023/10/fauntleroy-fall-festival-west-seattle-ski-swap-more-for-your-sunday/

Tracey October 15, 2023 (3:25 pm)

Wow. What a lucky kitty. She survived all those coyotes roaming around. Nice story.

John October 15, 2023 (5:30 pm)

It’s also wise to put a collar on your cat with your address and phone number. It’s a very simple act.

Kay October 15, 2023 (7:13 pm)

A cat came into our backyard. He was chipped. He was missing for 6 years. We live in alki. He went missing from beacon hill. He is a black cat named poe. If only he could talk.