Saturday, January 31, 2015

Sylvester




This is a blog post I hoped I would never have to write. It was Thursday morning that my beloved cat Sylvester went missing. My brother let him out before I woke up and I called for him only minutes later. I called for him all day.  I talked to my neighbours. I searched throughout the neighbourhood. I put up posters. Sylvester still has not returned. To say I am heartbroken would be an understatement. I am not ashamed that I have been crying on and off the past two days.

I literally raised Sylvester and his brother Socks up from kittens. Sylvester and his litter mates were born on April 3 2012. He was less than a day old when he received his name. Seeing that he was a male tuxedo cat, I decided to name him, "Sylvester", after the Warner Bros. cartoon character of the same name.

Sylvester was always the most adventurous and curious of his litter. He was the first of his litter to leave his nest and the first of his litter who wanted to go outside. Sadly, he also had a tendency to want to explore, much to my chagrin. More so than our other cats, Sylvester loved cat treats. He would actually beg for one of a morning and one before I went to bed. He also loved toys, particularly his feather wand and his many catnip mice. Like most cats Sylvester loved boxes, and he would actually fight with the other cats over who got to sit in any given box.

Most importantly, Sylvester was a very loving cat. He enjoyed sitting on me and being held. He slept with me at night. He would always come to comfort if I was feeling sad or down. He purred louder than most of the cats I have known in my life. You could literally hear him clear across the room. Many people who have never had a pet might no understand, but Sylvester was like family to me. I have to confess that I love him much more than many of my relatives. My grief right now is as great as if I had lost a relative or close friend because from my standpoint I have.

Right now I do not know if Sylvester is alive or dead. I am certainly hoping that he is alive. I am hoping that someone may have taken him in and that he will return to me soon. As it is I miss him terribly.

4 comments:

Raquel Stecher said...

I hope Sylvester finds his way back to you.

KC said...

This happened to a friend of mine recently. Her very elderly cat went missing for over two weeks and eventually made his way home. It can happen. I hope it happens for you.

Hal said...

I sure hope he makes it back home safely. If I may offer some hope, I have had a cat leave for five months before and show up like nothing ever happened. Don't give up on Sylvester just yet. Good luck!

Cliff Aliperti said...

I hope he makes his way back, Terry. I've never had a cat myself, but I do know of a few strays in the neighborhood that my dogs have been barking at through two tough winters now--so I know they're hardy! I'm with KC and Hal, don't give up yet!