Missing
Things are not good around here today. Gus went out on Saturday night, which he has been known to do from time to time. Usually he comes back in ten or fifteen minutes. I haven’t seen him since. Of course, with a twenty year old cat, there is always the possibility that he wandered off to die, but that makes me heartsick to even think about.
I need your prayers gang. Normal blogging will resume, well, at some point. I’m pretty verklempt here.
91 Responses to “Missing”
By Laura on Apr 28, 2008 8:43 am |
T, I’m lighting a candle for you and Gus and JC right now. Sending you love and holding hope.
Hang in, friend.
By Jennifer on Apr 28, 2008 9:16 am |
Sending good kitty karma your way, TR.
By Amanda Marcotte on Apr 28, 2008 9:34 am |
You’re in my thoughts. That’s about as scary as it gets. Hug another cat for me and remember, if he did pass away, he had a long life with a good friend.
By anangryoldbroad on Apr 28, 2008 9:39 am |
My Sasha has been gone for over a week now,and I fear she won’t be coming home. The longest she’s ever been gone before this is overnight.
I hope Gus comes home soon. (((hugs)))
By JeffinBerlin on Apr 28, 2008 9:44 am |
I feel for you my friend, I hope everything turns out well -I have lit a candle.
By Laura on Apr 28, 2008 9:49 am |
((((((((anangryoldbroad)))))))))
By Paddy on Apr 28, 2008 9:58 am |
Good thoughts and hugs….
By preznit giv me turkee on Apr 28, 2008 10:19 am |
here’s to his safe and happy return
By newdealfarmgrrrlll on Apr 28, 2008 10:26 am |
Good thoughts n hugs to TRex, Gus, anangryoldbroad, and Sasha.
My TwitchyTail who died at New Year’s of cancer at age 16, once was lost for over 2 weeks when he was around 10-12 yrs. old. A neighbor found him, lost, hungry, afraid, lured Twitchy into his garage and then called number on posters my daughters had plastered on telephone poles. Daughters’ friends in ‘hood reported having seen Twitch several blocks away so we were amused when rescuer ended up being neighbor across the alley. We were extremely grateful to get him back, and he was extremely grateful to be an indoor kitty from that day forth.
May Twitchy’s guardian angel guide Gus and Sasha safely home!
By DrDick on Apr 28, 2008 10:29 am |
Oh, dear. Sending sweet catnip thoughts to you and Gus. Many years ago my now almost 20 year old confirmed house cat made the great escape and was missing for a few days, but she made it back safe, if a bit terrified and hungry. Here’s hoping Gus does the same.
By peanutbutter on Apr 28, 2008 10:33 am |
Keeping y’all in my thoughts…
By ixnay on Apr 28, 2008 10:36 am |
hugs and positive thoughts to TRex and Gus, and to anangryoldbroad and Sasha. And to all lost kitties and their humans. I only wish I could do more. If our critters only knew how they hold our hearts in their paddy paws!
By sharonlee on Apr 28, 2008 11:08 am |
ixnay said
Can’t say it any better.
Huggs for the TRex household.
By LoudounLib on Apr 28, 2008 11:18 am |
T, I pray that Gus comes back to you safe and sound.
By isit2009yet on Apr 28, 2008 11:19 am |
peace….in whatever happens….
By MR Bill on Apr 28, 2008 11:22 am |
We wish you luck. You need your friend as much as he needs you.
By Betsy on Apr 28, 2008 11:25 am |
Oh Trex! Many many hugs.
By musicsleuth on Apr 28, 2008 11:28 am |
Trex — hang in there. This happened once to our family cat who was found huddling behind the garage a few days later too scared to come back inside. Here’s hoping Gus is just a good hider.
By lilysmom on Apr 28, 2008 11:58 am |
Catch in throat..tears in eyes.
((((((God bless you and your babies and all of you guys who care. ))))))
My kitties Lily and Cleo also sending prayers and good thoughts.
Lilysmom
By pellora hussein on Apr 28, 2008 12:07 pm |
Keeping the Light on for Gus. And you.
Heartbreaker - I hope he finds his way close enough to home for you to find him. I’m sure he’s really scared and huddled somewhere.
Walk and call your kitty. Call from home too. If they hear you regularly they can follow your voice. Put up posters at your neighborhood grocery stores and corner light posts and near schools. Get the help of lots of eyes that way. Picture helps.
Hugs and Light to you.
By msmolly on Apr 28, 2008 12:17 pm |
pellora hussein said
Thoughts go out to you and Gus. Over the years we had a couple of cats “disappear” for a few days, but returned home safely.
Echoing Pellora: walk and hunt and call to Gus. One of our kitties got into the basement of a building under construction and couln’t get out. We heard her meeow as we walked and called. The other disappeared while we were away and a neighbor kid was feeding her. As soon as we came back, so did she.
In my experience, mostly indoor cats wouldn’t go outside and go off somewhere to die. You’d be more likely to find him under a bed or in a closet in the house if that were the case.
By punaise on Apr 28, 2008 12:23 pm |
Louis le chat and I are pullin’ for ole Gus…
hoping for the best.
By SadieSue on Apr 28, 2008 12:47 pm |
Oh Trex - I am so sorry. It is so hard when cats go missing & you don’t know whether they are ok or not. My 5 kitties & I are holding you, Gus, & Juan Carlos in our thoughts & in our hearts.
Edit to add:
And the same warm, hopeful thoughts to out to angryoldbroad & Sasha.
By e on Apr 28, 2008 12:49 pm |
Really, really, hope you find him, T.
The above is all good advice. Get the word out — also check with the animal shelter in case someone found him and turned him in.
Also, though this is probably not likely — could there be another place he was trying to get to? Our late kitty ran off when we moved here and headed back to our old house.
By Mary McCurnin on Apr 28, 2008 12:52 pm |
Often kitties get stuck in garages, etc. Look and ask around the neighborhood if you haven’t already.
I have a 19 year old kitty. She is waning.
I understand. You are a good person Mr. T.
By Fraulein on Apr 28, 2008 1:31 pm |
Keeping you in our thoughts and prayers here. I lost my kitty to cancer two years ago next month, and I still miss him so much. I hope Gus turns up!
By Snokat on Apr 28, 2008 2:30 pm |
We and the four fur-babies are hoping for a safe return. I grew up with farm cats that came and went, breaking my heart every time. My kitties NEVER go outside and never will. I just won’t risk it.
Keep looking and praying!
By Gnome de Plume on Apr 28, 2008 2:45 pm |
Prayers from the de Plume cats - Gus, Theodore and Claude. The dogs also say “come home soon, Gus.”
By punaise on Apr 28, 2008 2:45 pm |
2 year old Louis has already outlived his tabby predecessors in our home, Cesar and Lola. They met their respective untimely ends in the street, just weeks apart. As semi-feral (though neutered) rescue cats they just couldn’t/can’t resist the urge to be outdoors.
Cesar and Lola will welcome Gus to cat heaven when it’s his time. No sooner.
By respectisthehub on Apr 28, 2008 2:46 pm |
Peace be with you.
By burnspbesq on Apr 28, 2008 2:48 pm |
A little something to alter the mood while Gus-watch continues?
Some may object to the ethnic stereotyping that has come to accompany Cinco de Mayo (I’m Irish, and don’t get me started about Saint Paddy’s Day), but the concept of SWWNBN pounding down shots of Cuervo Gold in order to pander to Hispanic voters is somewhat amusing.
http://www.gocomics.com/lacucaracha/
Hang in there, big guy. You have more folks rooting, wishing, and praying than you could ever hope to count.
By Shell on Apr 28, 2008 3:02 pm |
Good thoughts for your kitty.
In the meantime, think of this: get a chip implanted in both your kitties! Here in Sacramento, all pets at the pound, who are adopted, get them. And they work!
I got my kitty, Alex, at the pound, and he had one implanted. (It’s no big deal — just like a shot.) Sure enough, after about 4 days of being here, Alex took off. A few days later, a nice woman called, saying Alex was there at her business, looking for food. She just had the chip read (also quite easy) and found my name and telephone number. Home came Alex!
It is a quick, easy, inexpensive way to keep track of your pets — ALL pets that may be outside, ever.
By Shell on Apr 28, 2008 3:07 pm |
Good thoughts for your kitty.
In the meantime, think of this: get a chip implanted in both your kitties! Here in Sacramento, all pets at the pound, who are adopted, get them. And they work!
I got my kitty, Alex, at the pound, and he had one implanted. (It’s no big deal — just like a shot.) Sure enough, after about 4 days of being here, Alex took off. A few days later, a nice woman called, saying Alex was there at her business, looking for food. She just had the chip read (also quite easy) and found my name and telephone number. Home came Alex!
It is a quick, easy, inexpensive way to keep track of your pets — ALL pets that may be outside, ever.
By pellora hussein on Apr 28, 2008 3:17 pm |
burnspbesq said
DITTO well said!
I heard about the gun toting and whiskey shot, and I also heard she was downing beers with union folk on Friday. Now tehkillya? Quacks Like Walks Like a …
Panderer!
NOT WHAT I WANT IN A PRESIDENT!!!
enough already, we have such a winner now that people thought to vote for him ’cause he was such fun to drink with and be around… worked really good, din’t it? not
P.S. She does this like she’s an old hand. What happens if she chokes and gets ugly drunk?
By petedownunder on Apr 28, 2008 3:52 pm |
Trex - sorry to hear about Gus. Some thoughts: cats, particularly older ones like that will not have gone far. The problem is they can fit into some pretty small spaces. I’d conduct a thorough flashlight enhanced search of places like the crawl space under your house or anything similar. Likewise at the neighbors but the likelihood he is with 100 yards of the house. It is certainly possible he went somewhere protected to die quietly, we had a cat do that once (we found his body in the crawl space)or if alive he may be trapped in a neighbors and too weak to cry loud enough to be heard. Be sure to put up some signs in the ‘hood.
Good luck. Our thoughts are with you.
By Forrest Prince on Apr 28, 2008 3:56 pm |
Feeling bad for you and sad with you, tRex, but prayer won’t bring Gus back. Getting out and searching for him might, and I’m sure you’re doing all you can, and I sincerly hope you find Gus alive and well.
My Fat Cat went missing for a few hours the other evening. She goes out and comes in fairly often, but is seldom gone for more than a few minutes, an hour at most, and I’ve never known her to wander off.
Finally, she showed up. Inside the house, in the spare bedroom. She had slipped into the bedroom when I inadvertently left the door open, and I closed it later not realizing she was in there. She almost never meows much, and it was only her scratching at the door that led me to her. Well, that’s the first place I’ll look next time if she goes missing again. I was near sick when I couldn’t find her.
So take heart, my great therapod friend. Gus knows where home is, and if he can he’ll return.
By e on Apr 28, 2008 4:06 pm |
query: is there ANYTHING Pillary won’t do?
For example, suppose pimps were a significant Democratic constituency…….
By madmommy on Apr 28, 2008 4:09 pm |
Oh no!!! Every positive thought headed towards Athens from here, and I hope you find him very soon!!
((((TRex & Gus))))
By pellora hussein on Apr 28, 2008 4:10 pm |
e said
hahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhahahaha
The list is endless!
By brownbuffalo on Apr 28, 2008 4:12 pm |
Reckon its just more of the same at this point, but I feel bad for you T and hope all turns out well in the end. . .
By Angel Gabrielle on Apr 28, 2008 4:20 pm |
There is nothing more I can say that hasn’t already been expressed…
Sending HUGS, LOVE and LIGHT.
By Lucy on Apr 28, 2008 4:24 pm |
T-Rex. Suggest putting an ad pronto into ABH and sending something to the UGASTAFF listserv. That way more eyes than just your’s will be looking. Good luck on finding Gus.
By wobblybits on Apr 28, 2008 4:45 pm |
i’m so sorry to hear about one of your babies but we send positive energy to you and to Gus that you will find your way to each other.
By Patty on Apr 28, 2008 4:47 pm |
I and my kitty (the one who jumps up on the desk every morning when I turn on the computer and reads and enjoys your blog along with me)are sending good thoughts out to you and Gus. May he come home soon.
Peace.
By burnspbesq on Apr 28, 2008 4:58 pm |
e said
I don’t know where you’re going with this line of inquiry … and I’m not sure I care to have Darkblack know.
By Suzanne on Apr 28, 2008 5:34 pm |
prayers, positive warm thousght, every forking think i got is at your disposal big dood.
By Margot on Apr 28, 2008 5:54 pm |
Same here, TRex. Prayers, hugs and love beamed your way.
By darkblack on Apr 28, 2008 6:06 pm |
Hang on, T. - We’re all thinking about you.
By Elliott on Apr 28, 2008 6:28 pm |
Oh Noes!
(((TRex & Gus)))
By Cassie on Apr 28, 2008 6:35 pm |
TRex, did you find him yet? Maybe Juan Carlos sent him out to catch a mouse or two.
By Rick DeVille on Apr 28, 2008 6:47 pm |
TRex, I’m real sorry to hear Gus has gone missing. You are both in my thoughts.
By cbl on Apr 28, 2008 6:48 pm |
my darling ((((Dino Boy)))))
prayers for you and ((((your baby))))
By Redshift on Apr 28, 2008 6:49 pm |
Here’s hoping, T!
By Gnome de Plume on Apr 28, 2008 7:07 pm |
I just came home from running errands and stopped by here to see if there was any news. One of my darling felines left me a little avian present in the walkway, which I proceeded to step on! Ewwww! Then there was the cat last week that I thought had taken up cigarettes, but it turned out to be a squirrel paw dangling from his mouth. Hopefully Gus has just gone to find you an interesting present, T.
By Petrocelli on Apr 28, 2008 7:12 pm |
((( TRex & Gus )))
Of course, Gus might have gone out on a date and gotten lucky … *g*
Keep your chin up, Big Guy !
By Cassie on Apr 28, 2008 7:24 pm |
Hi Mr Petro.
By KayInMaine on Apr 28, 2008 7:30 pm |
TRex, so sorry. I’m sending you good vibes your way to bring your kitty cat back.
((((HUGS TO YOU TOO))))
By Worried Kitty Mom on Apr 28, 2008 7:33 pm |
At the Humane Society we would always recommend putting up signs & pictures with a phone # and the word REWARD (but not an exact amount) on it. It doesn’t matter if you only fork over $5 to whomever finds your pet, the prospect of money gets neighborhood kids on the hunt, and they go places and see things that adults don’t. Good luck.
By Cassie on Apr 28, 2008 7:39 pm |
Worried Kitty Mom said
that is a great idea!
By LoudounLib on Apr 28, 2008 7:48 pm |
Home from work, raced over here to see whether there was any good news. Sigh…
Gus…GUS! Your daddy wants you home. right. NOW! Y’hear?
By Ann in AZ on Apr 28, 2008 8:21 pm |
So Sorry about Gus. Once my momma cat was gone for a week and came home with feathers all over her (we lived in a rural area with lots of chickens) and she was sick for almost a week after that. I surmised she might have gotten herself caught in a henhouse for a week. Probably no food and little water, if any. She was only about ten years old then, though. I never did find Bubbles, and he wasn’t that old. Pretty much my pets are not allowed out of the yard these days. I know how you feel, and all I can say is, so sorry.
By mommybrain on Apr 28, 2008 8:29 pm |
I had a kitty go missing for almost two weeks once. She’d gotten locked in a neighbor’s shed. Somehow I knew she’d come back.
Pet ownership comes with a big built-in bitch: short lives.
Namaste, (((friend))).
By Smapdi on Apr 28, 2008 8:29 pm |
Oh, Honey,
I dont know what to say. I will keep you both in my prayers and I will light a candle after sundown.
By John Onorato on Apr 28, 2008 8:40 pm |
I’m sorry, and I hope I don’t have to be.
The pain of losing a pet most closely resembles that of losing a child, and that ain’t pretty.
Good luck, and remember, in the worst case, all the good fun and love you had together.
Best of luck. And remember: There are a lot of little ones out there dying for a new home.
By Big Mitch on Apr 28, 2008 8:41 pm |
I may never understand cat lovers, but I understand love and loss. My heart goes out to TRex and AngryOldBroad. My every fiber is praying for a successful, happy, peaceful resolution to the current situations.
By Peterr on Apr 28, 2008 8:45 pm |
You want prayers? I can do prayers. Pretty good at it, if I do say so myself.
Hang in there, TRex.
By punaise on Apr 28, 2008 8:46 pm |
yo - da preacher in da (tree)house!
By Betsy on Apr 28, 2008 8:56 pm |
Still no word?
By pellora hussein on Apr 28, 2008 9:02 pm |
Virginia had three tornadoes touch down today. Isn’t LoudonLib from Virginia? LL - you here? I hope you are not affected by this bad weather.
We had a 4.2 quake early 4:33 am today. Then all the usual smaller quakes. Different day, same shaking.
By pellora hussein on Apr 28, 2008 9:04 pm |
I haven’t seen T check in since posting. But he and Gus and JC sure do have lots and lots of friends!
I hope he finds Gus.
T could be a work now though, what?
By LoudounLib on Apr 28, 2008 9:07 pm |
Pellora, hi and thanks for asking. The tornadoes were southeast of the Richmond area, way far away from here (I’m in Northern VA, outside DC).
Here’s more from a Richmond paper online.
By egregious on Apr 28, 2008 9:10 pm |
(((((((TRex and Gus)))))))
By pellora hussein on Apr 28, 2008 9:13 pm |
From my fortune cookie this evening -
Life’s a mountain not a beach
Shucks, I’m sure I’ve been told
Life’s a Beach!
By Tengrain on Apr 28, 2008 9:58 pm |
Oh, TRex! - I hope he comes home soon, with a rakish smile on his face.
I lost my thurber last month, and I’m still too blue to think about it.
Regards,
‘Grain
By JML on Apr 28, 2008 9:59 pm |
My neighbors’ old cat was missing for three months and then turned up on my doorstep safe and hungry. Here’s wishing Mr. Gus a safe return by midnight in time for a good night’s sleep for you both.
By Sharkbabe on Apr 28, 2008 10:16 pm |
When my kitty had been gone for more than a week I’d pretty much given up hope, but still refused to accept it, in that I still called him at the door, talked about him etc like usual. After 10 days he was finally found by my neighbor, in a crawl space where he’d dragged himself after being hurt by a dog. I like to think hearing my voice calling him all that time somehow helped him survive …
(Also when I was a kid the family weimaraner went missing … after 3 months (!) he shows up, scratching at the front door like nothing had happened!)
Anyway, adding my fervent thoughts, prayers, and vibes for Gus’s safe homecoming, also (inadequate) hugs for the anguish …
Oh and get those signs up in your ‘hood, if you haven’t already! Took me too long, and I’d given up anyway, but damned if they didn’t do the trick.
By DRST on Apr 28, 2008 10:19 pm |
Come home Gus!
By dmac on Apr 28, 2008 10:20 pm |
hope it has a happy ending,
many times it does.
By julia on Apr 28, 2008 10:24 pm |
Pyewacket was with me thirteen years. A cat’s lived with us since then, but she wasn’t Pye.
I hope Gus ends up somewhere peaceful, and I hope it’s with you.
By dmac on Apr 28, 2008 10:39 pm |
ok, wasn’t gonna do this, but, ok, indoor cat-declawed, got out through the screened-in porch.
ripped a hole in it, never wanted out before that…..was in the city and i was afraid for him.
gone three weeks….kinda gave up looking, did everything i could to find him…..my first pet of my own, loved him to death…he showed up covered in muck, skinny…..couldn’t believe it.
dog, part border collie, looked like a black chow, broke a temporary rope lead–NEVER tie a dog with something that can break….broke the rope, only was tying him for a minute, in a minute he broke it….he was lost, dragging many feet of rope, in a forest area…..dangerous, dead for sure..even people i didn’t know on the roads around where i lived were lookin’ for him, country…everybody listening for dogs barking in the woods….which is taken for granted out there….long after a week, on a really really windy day, i was outside ‘battening down the hatches’ cuz of the wind, the kind where you don’t even try to talk, 50 mph at least, i heard a bark, faint, but i KNEW i heard it, then i remembered that vultures had been over that hill in that direction…ran to call my neighbor across the creek…..asked my neighbor if vultures would hang around something still alive, he said yes if it was staying in the same spot….i knew it was him…..big storm coming, couldn’t hardly yell into the wind, i yelled for him anyway….i hiked for a half hour through my neighbors woods up hills across creeks, calling his name…..
and NO SHIT, i gave up, sat on a log and called one last time, i mean it, one last time, i was done, and he barked below me……
light exploded around me, and i ran down the hill…..fell down the hill……
he was tangled around shrubbery.
only reason he was alive was because he was right next to a creek. he had water.
without the wind and the vultures, i never would have found him.
i still don’t know how i heard the bark of a dog in a gully, then over two hills to my house…..through woods.
so, anything is possible trex. anything.
he died two years ago, 17.
By msmolly on Apr 28, 2008 10:49 pm |
pellora hussein said
Yes, he is at work. I can hear his mellow voice between the good classical music on WUGA.
By burnspbesq on Apr 28, 2008 10:51 pm |
Digby’s take on today’s ludicrous Supreme Court decision upholding the Indiana voter ID law is typically thorough and thoughtful.
I can name that tune in seven notes: Republicans don’t want brown people to vote.
By madmommy on Apr 28, 2008 11:08 pm |
burnspbesq said
Or black people, or female people or poor people or any people who don’t vote GOP.
What really kills me about this ruling is the court conceeds that there is no evidence of voter fraud in Indiana, but there is some fraud throughout American history. The opposition argument, that getting an ID is difficult and expensive was shot down because there was no proof that this was the case. To sum up, neither side can prove their case, so we’re gonna rule with the GOP, instead of throwing the whole thing to the curb like the pile of shit it is. Tada!
By e on Apr 28, 2008 11:15 pm |
burnspbesq said
I am disappointed and disgusted too. I need to read the thing, though, because there was clearly some weird shit going on. The justices broke 3-3-3, and Stevens authored one of the opinions to uphold. I dongeddit.
By burnspbesq on Apr 28, 2008 11:18 pm |
madmommy said
I have not yet read all four opinions, which I hope to do later tonight. Upon reading and reflection, I may come to grudgingly admit that on the peculiar procedural posture of the case, this is an appropriate disposition of it. But even if that happens, I will stand by my characterization of the outcome as “ludicrous.”
Everybody in the world knows what this is about, including the District Court judge who initially heard the case, the three judges on the Seventh Circuit who heard the appeal, and the nine justices on the Supreme Court.
It may be that the elephant in the corner is invisible as a matter of law. But as so-called “conservative” justices are wont to tell us from time to time, there are some things in this world that are best left for resolution by the political branches.
We can fight this battle in the state legislatures, and we can kick ass and take names and go after state legislators who are on the wrong side of this issue.
By madmommy on Apr 28, 2008 11:23 pm |
The worst part is we are stuck with these assclowns, probably for decades. For this alone, it is imperative that the Democratic party get their shit together and get behind a nominee. Otherwise we will have a President who will appoint more in the mold of Roberts and Scalia.
By mack on Apr 28, 2008 11:25 pm |
((Trex))
By burnspbesq on Apr 28, 2008 11:25 pm |
e said
I think the biggest problem for these plaintiffs here is that they mounted a facial challenge, and those are clearly disfavored by this Court. I read something over at discourse.net a little while age, in which Michael Froomkin professed to see a six-Justice majority that would strike down a voter ID law in any state that doesn’t issue non-drivers-license photo IDs for free. Not sure I agree, but if the question is about unduly burdening the right to vote that’s certainly a plausible argument. For a right as fundamental as voting, my personal set of constitutional norms would say that the state interest has to be really really compelling, or even a teeny weeny burden is undue. And given the total absence of any empirical evidence that supports the notion that the kind of voter fraud that photo ID laws are intended to deter is happening to any degree anywhere, I don’t have any problem concluding that even charging two dollars would be an undue burden. It’s a sort of indirect, judicially appropriate way of saying “we know what you’re up to, you assholes, and you’re not getting by with it.”
By burnspbesq on Apr 28, 2008 11:29 pm |
Of course, the problem is that it’s impossible to mount an as-applied challenge until you have a plaintiff with standing, i.e., someone whose vote was not counted because they didn’t have a photo ID. Which means that the Rethug dogs will get one free bite.
By burnspbesq on Apr 28, 2008 11:35 pm |
Since Betsy doesn’t seem to be around, it falls to me to say that Cassie wrote an absolutely brilliant post today about school testing and its pernicious effects on the actual process of educating young people.
http://youthinkleft.com/2008/04/27/miseducation/
By TRex on Apr 28, 2008 11:36 pm |
Fresh thread, but still no joy:
http://www.iamtrex.com/?p=732