The First 48 (Hours) and A Glimmer of Hope

My friend Jen, creatrix extraordinaire and fellow cat-lover, came over today to help me walk around the neighborhood and hand out post cards featuring my missing cat's photo and my contact information. We left some cards at a little museum and an antique store, put up a flyer in a busy seaside bistro, and then we started going up to nearby houses where we saw people outside. 

Even though I felt sort of like a traveling salesman, what I discovered was quite humbling: Everyone was so friendly and quite compassionate... "Oh, I'm so sorry, I hope you find her," one woman said who was walking her dog. "The poor thing, she's so beautiful," another woman told me. "I'm pet-sitting my mother's cats and someone's pet-sitting mine - I love cats," a young man explained as he took one of my cards. A lady who was tending her garden said, "I'll watch for her, and you might want to talk to my neighbor, he puts out food for cats." When no one came to the door, she came over and led us around to the back, where we met this sweet gentleman who said he would keep an eye out for her. "Silver, her name is Silver," I kept telling them.

Finally, when we were close to my house I decided to lead Jen into a friend's yard where I had already looked a couple of times. Two women were sitting on the back porch and I waved. "It's just me, the lady who's looking for her cat," I called out, knowing that my friend had spoken to his wife about my plight. "We saw your cat!" one of them said, and I walked quickly over to them to hear more of this glorious news. "You did? Really? When did you see her?" I asked. "Friday, it was Friday," she answered. "That must have been right after she escaped!" So, my first instinct about her choice of direction was correct all along, muddled and warped by doubt, sorrow and the passage of time. "Her name is Silver, she knows her name, call me any time and I'll be over in a flash!" And so I came home with my heart a tiny bit lighter, thanks to kind folks.

After today, I am focusing on the area of woods and wetlands just behind our house and hoping that she has not strayed any farther or hasn't been chased off by territorial cats or hungry coyotes. Mostly, I am in awe of how many people wanted to help or give me moral support. I can't wait to tell Silver all about it! And I'm sure she'll have some good stories to tell her brother if I can coax her back home. Wish me luck!