The family of a missing indoor cat is tormented by anguish and restless nights, as their exhaustive search efforts yield no sign of the elusive feline
The desperate search of a couple whose indoor cat had vanished lasted 2 weeks. The owners of the feline named Frank weren’t alone; Neighbors and associations joined forces to try to find the elusive animal safe and sound.
A cat lost for 15 days was finally found and returned to its family, reported The North Salem Post on Sunday, September 10.
The animal in question is a 2-year-old Turkish Van named Frank . An indoor cat , he was not used to giving in to the call of the street. However, at the end of August, he took off after an unfortunate fall.
Sam Campolo
The cat had, in fact, fallen from one of the windows of the house located in North Salem , New York. Once outside, he got scared and ran away.
Its owners Sophie Manthe and Sam Campolo , both 25 years old, did not realize it right away. It was the latter who was the first to notice it; he just had time to see it outside from the window.
“ I ran after him. I was panicking, so I think he sensed the panic in me ,” says the young man. The more he persisted in pursuing him, the more Frank accelerated his pace. It was only afterward that Sam Campolo realized he should never have followed him.
The couple installed surveillance cameras around the house. He asked neighbors for permission to search their properties. They not only accepted it, but also offered to help. Some have reoriented their security cameras to cover areas likely to be crossing points for Frank . Others left cat food outside their homes.
Sophie Manthe and Sam Campolo carried out alternating night rounds. Their cat made a few appearances on the neighbors’ cameras, but they couldn’t lure him in to pick him up.
“He’s just sitting there meowing.”
As they began to become discouraged, local organization Rock n’ Rescue and its founder Juli Cialone intervened. The volunteer notably installed a cage trap in front of the home of Donna Milano , a neighbor. Frank ‘s visits there were frequent.
3 days later, Sophie Manthe came to inspect the cage early in the morning without really believing it, but she was greeted by familiar meows . Frank had allowed himself to be locked up. “ I walk over and see him there. My stomach tightens. He’s just sitting there meowing ,” says the young woman.
She immediately grabbed the cage and went home to wake up her companion. “ We have it, Sam. We have it ,” she announced to him as he emerged.
Sam Campolo
Sophie Manthe said she was touched by “ the way the community came together ” around this cause. She wanted to express her gratitude to her neighbors and Juli Cialone , without whom this happy outcome could never have taken place.