The cat came back (but took its own sweet time)

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This article was published 28/09/2022 (247 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Sometimes life hands you little miracles in ways you’d never expect.

This past summer, my family and I were devasted when our two-year old orange tabby (appropriately named Pumpkin by my daughter) went missing while visiting my folks in a small village near Whiteshell Provincial Park. Although he was familiar with my parents’ house, he’s an indoor cat who always feared their wide-open back yard. This made it particularly shocking to us when we discovered one morning he had snuck out the back door sometime the previous evening.

After a couple of days searching fields, driving up and down nearby roads, knocking on doors and handing out flyers, we had to accept the fact that Pumpkin was gone and went home to Winnipeg.

As the days and weeks went by, we continued to hope and pray for his safe return, but the outlook was bleak. Being an indoor cat and unfamiliar with the region didn’t bode well for a happy outcome.

And then – almost four weeks after he went missing – my Dad spotted an orange fur ball streak past their woodpile. That night he put out a humane live trap and the next morning a very skinny and disheveled (not to mention irritable) Pumpkin was found! A quick trip to the veterinary clinic confirmed for my parents that it was indeed our wayfaring pet. I’ll never forget the joy on my daughter’s face or the immense wave of gratefulness and relief I felt when we discovered our beloved cat had returned.

But this isn’t just about a missing cat returning home; it’s also about the miracle of a community’s support in finding a child’s cherished lost pet. I received numerous texts from concerned neighbours asking for updates and promising to keep an ‘eye out’ for him. Another neighbour offered to put a notice in their local Facebook group to help spread the word. Others offered prayers and words of encouragement and support which were very much appreciated.

As it turns out, despite the four weeks of worry and fear his disappearance caused us, Pumpkin was fine — albeit somewhat skinnier — despite his (mis)adventure.

We are so happy to have our ‘miracle’ cat home with us where he belongs, and we’d especially like to thank the wonderful folks of Seven Sisters Falls for all their kind support along the way.

Heather Innis
Windsor Park community correspondent

Heather Innis is a community correspondent for Windsor Park.

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