Thank you!!

Lella is back home!!! To everyone out there behind my search for my little lost kitty, I wanted to put together one quick page so you can have a happy sense of closure after all that you've done. It really takes a village. You all helped me tremendously and I thank you all so sincerely.

If you want to just find out how she was found on 2/4, just read "Finally, a bit desperate" below. And, if time is short, then maybe just see how happy we two are in the video I shot just after she came home :-) Hard to capture with one hand and keep petting with the other (which I've done non-stop and am happier every second that I do!), but still sweet. And otherwise, the rest below includes the full three week story.

By the way, I typed so much of this with just one hand--the other had Lella either draped over it in a calm sleep on my lap or was busy petting her and enjoying her purrs. What a dream come true.

Again, thank you!!!

Lella went missing

I'd been visiting my mom with my two cats for a full week. On Tue Jan 14 at about 4pm, Lella slipped out of the house. She's an indoor kitty and very timid. She got spooked and hid. When found, she got more spooked and by 8pm trying to coax her back, she just took off.

I spent the night outside in a sleeping bag stocked with cat food. I was sure I'd have a run-in with a raccoon. But, while they did stare me down, I think they had no intention of messing with the moving blue bag.

The week that followed was an absolute torture for me. Within the first two days I got a safe trap from the Humane Society, I went to immediate neighbors for help, joined local online forums where I posted her photo and description, posted to Craigslist, and I called her nonstop. I downloaded an app that could loop my voice continuously too because I couldn't call her during the night and I wanted to keep that up!

People were incredibly helpful

That Sunday, my hero Antonio helped me with distributing flyers and actually asking neighbors within a 1mile radius whether we could look under their houses and in their gardens. It was amazing how kind everyone was to let us do this. Really we searched everywhere possible in one very long day. We found a skunk under one house, but no cat.

Every night I was sleeping with my sliding door open, hoping she'd run back in at some point. It was so cold! I slept with my hood over my head, mittens and socks. But I quickly noticed how stressed Nino (my other kitty) was that he couldn't sleep in the same room with me (he is very much indoor/outdoor, so the open door would be way too enticing to him for some adventure). So the door was left open a paw's width--not big enough for him to leave or her to come in, but if she showed up, I'd hear him, if not her, making some noise.

My friend Shannon (an animal behavior specialist offering a ton of services, check her out on facebook!) really helped with a nice long phone call on some excellent tips and tricks. And one thing that encouraged me is that she was very confident that shy kitties often have the best chances of survival: they don't venture and find themselves in trouble. They stay very close, they know how to stay out of the reach of dangerous adversaries. And Lella is a real survivor: I got her as a former stray kitty on the streets of Oakland. Sweet, shy kid who has had to develop street smarts! Shannon was always sure Lella would come back (thank you!).

Michael also knew she would come back. And, Michael, you know your friendship pulls me through daily woes anyway, but it seriously kept me going through this horribly challenging and scary time! You again (always) help me through any challenges I face, thank you thank you thank you!

The next Sunday Antonio helped yet again and this time enlisting his 12 year old daughter Stephanie who was immensely helpful! I figured she'd be a bit bored with the work, but not so. She worked tirelessly and she even helped the Sunday after. His younger daughter Jazmine helped from afar--she grabbed everyone's hands in prayer for my little precious Lella. So sweet. Without Antonio and his family, I don't know how I could've faced half of what I faced. Truly.

All along, I'd stop people on walks, explain that my little kitty was lost and how shy she was. I was really hoping people would keep looking around their homes and I have no doubt that they did. Everyone so empathized, most having cats or dogs or both in this neighborhood.

People provided many leads to follow and Antonio and I found a few of them (little black or black and white kitties) in backyards or in bushes but they weren't her. It still warmed my heart how often and how accurately people made reports to me.

I have to pause and thank Margaret, Matt, Scott, Leonie, Sherry, Margarita (by phone!), Paul, Dawn and Kyra: you all took time to talk with me and you all helped, empathized and encouraged! Clearly, you are all great pet people, I felt very kindred spirits in all of you.

Most recently I sent out postcards to the whole neighborhood (far and wide) asking people to start checking for closed sheds and such. My sweet niece and nephew helped put stamps on (so if you got a postcard from me, you probably noticed the artful placement of stamps by a 4 and 6 year old :)

All the while, Lida brought me cookies, Christina offered all help with my home and mail and watering and Joe let me have the biggest cry and the biggest hug. Countless friends and family members emailed and called but I rarely had the strength to reply. So while my communication back was very minimal, it helped so much to have your kind words! Everyone knows I love these little cats of mine like they're my babies. They all know that this has been the greatest pain I've ever felt.

Finally a bit desperate

Today, three weeks after she had disappeared, I was berating myself for not calling her every single minute of every single day. So, I went with Nino to the end of the deck and started calling her again and I planned on doing one full hour out there (as if that would alleviate the guilt).

Within 15 minutes I heard her meowing back!!! I really thought I could be imagining it, it seemed so unreal. And it was almost exactly 3 weeks of not hearing her at that moment (4pm again). But Nino ran to the middle of the deck and poked his head through the railing and I KNEW we had both heard her.

I ran downstairs and Nino followed. I would call her and hear her, then nothing. Nino hissed in the direction of under the studio so I figured I was in for exploring another crawlspace. But her voice wasn't really in that direction precisely. It was really hard to pinpoint until Nino started sniffing at the landing right at the bottom of the stairs.

I crawled under the stairs and saw a tiny gap that only Lella could fit through. Truly, no other cats, no other wild animals (but for maybe a rat which she would've eaten for dinner) could fit! And sure enough, her cries were right from there.

I ran upstairs and told my mom I had found her! I grabbed my phone and some cat food and told my mom I was not going to leave that spot even if it took me til 3 in the morning to get her out.

I called everyone I could think of who was maybe not too far away and, above all, was strong enough to rip off the stair boards if we needed to do that to reach her.

But just as Antonio was on his way (always there to help, as you've read!), I managed to feed her bit by bit. When she bit my fingers I nearly cried because it was so real to feel her little teeth sinking into my fingers that she mistook for food! Each few pieces I pulled my hand further away from under the stairs and she was following and eating. When she had enough of her front paws out and a clear shot at her scruff, I picked her up easily and just wrapped my arms around her and in no way could she spook and jump away. It was truly one of the happiest moments of my life.

She was incredibly calm and seemed to be very happy to be heading back indoors! We cuddled and cuddled in between her eating up a pile of food. She had nothing stuck or matted in her fur, no claw marks from other animals, just no signs of all the trauma she must've faced. She looks absolutely great, although she is, of course, a bit thin.

After spending much time on my lap and much time eating (and then even using her litter box, imagine that), she chased after a moth in the room. It was like old times! I hope you'll enjoy the video filmed just minutes after she had settled in had eaten a bit. We were just both so happy. She's so damned cute!

Ok, this might be boring to anyone but me :D but at least have a look at a few purrs:

Right now Nino is nervous around her, but then he will also cry for her when he starts realizing it is his old pal alright. Soon we'll settle back in to normal life.

I thank my mother, last but not least, in this long list: she fed me amazing dinners and let me stay here til I could complete this search. She supplied a ton of ink to print out all the flyers. She allowed me to be messy when I'd run out the door to follow a lead! That was huge :-) It was also priceless having time to really connect. I'll never forget how much we lived through, Mama. Thank you.

Again, I thank all of you so so so very much for the support, the concern, the time searching around your homes and for keeping so many eyes open for her! It really kept me going to know how kind everyone had been as I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and knocked on people's doors. And to everyone who couldn't be here due to the many miles between us, I know full well you'd have rolled up your sleeves if you could. And rolling them up by email with constant encouragement was just as beautiful.

Many many many thanks!!!

Julia, Lella and Nino