Search update…

Well it’s not looking good.  I was out walking the streets this afternoon simultaneously looking for signs of Mulder and posting “LOST” flyers when less than a block from home I saw a poster warning of a Coyote sighting in the area two weeks ago.  Two coyotes were witnessed taking someone’s cat from the porch of it’s home in the early hours of the morning.

Someone put up warnings, but neglected to put one in our street.  If you imagine an H and think of me living in the crossbar…  The coyote sighting/attack was in the first vertical bar, and the poster was in the second one.

It’s all starting make a little more sense.  Mulder wanted to go out, hesitated at the door, which he often does, I encouraged him out, and within minutes heard a strange noise out the front, my dogs started barking, and no Mulder ever since, just his collar.

It’s not looking good.

I got a phone call this evening in response to one of my flyers, it was a gentleman advising that he knew of the previous cat being taken, and had seen a coyote in the area since.

Argh!  I’ve only heard of Coyotes on television, I’d never have imagined for a minute that there’d be any chance of one being in the area.  It gets even more "exciting/concerning", while speaking to my neighbour and mentioning the Coyote warning, he mentioned that there’d been a Cougar sighted in the area in the not too distant past as well.

So there you have it, apparently I’m living in the "Wilds".

I hope against hope that I’m wrong, that Mulder’s out there somewhere, but it’s certainly not looking good.

… and people say that Australia has all the dangerous animals!  At least the majority of ours aren’t in suburbia!

The search continues

Still no news of Mulder!

Personally, and I know it’s pessimistic, think he’s gone for good.  When I let him out for a toilet break at almost 5am on Monday, and not long after he went out, I heard a weird noise of an animal running through the garden, and then the dogs went mad barking.  Now I know they didn’t attack Mulder, they all get along famously, and the one time they did attack him, he quite literally beat the crap out of them.  They learnt their lesson.

I also wakened later that morning to the sound of what appeared to be thousands of crows, enough that Mark closed the window because of the noise.  The same crows were jumping around on the neighbour’s front lawn.

Next development in the mystery.  Mark found his collar in our mail box.  None of our neighbour’s seen him, but the lady across the road said she found the collar in her driveway so put it in our mailbox.  Our next door neighbour said he found the collar on the lawn (where the crows were), thought it belonged to the lady across the road and left it in her driveway for her.  That’s one part of the mystery solved.

However, the crows sound ominous.  My intuition says I’m right.  :(   That, and Oliver has not been his usually happy self.  In the past when Mulder has been absent due to a Vet visit, he’s been as mad as ever.  This time, he’s very depressed and snuggles with every opportunity.

So far today, I’ve made over 30 phone calls to all the surrounding vets leaving my contact details and Mulder’s description to no avail.  I’ve even had a reply to my Craigslist ad.  The reply stated that they saw a cat that fit Mulder’s description dead on the road.  I was also advised that if I was to check this cat, to NOT bring children!

I checked, I can’t be sure it wasn’t Mulder, there’s not much left, so yes, it’s not a child suitable scene, the only thing going in Mulder’s favour is the location.  It’s simply too far away.  He’d have to have been transported physically to the area for it to be him.

The animal shelter I visited was absolutely heart breaking.  I’ve filled out the appropriate missing/lost forms, and put them on display, read through all the Found listings, and checked the recent additions, "D.O.A’s” (Dead On Arrivals) which when I asked, was informed they’re all scanned for microchips, so if he was one of them I’d find out, and checked all the stray and adoption cats.

Now naturally I’m sad for Mulder’s absence, but he’s 13 (nearly), and from a very loving home, it’s no secret to anyone who knows me, or has met Mulder or Oliver, that they’re spoilt and doted on.  But, and my friends and family can attest, and to give you an idea, as a child my parents banned me from watching Lassie because I’d cry inconsolably.  The strays and adoptions were totally heartbreaking to see.  Mulder had a loving home, these cats, either did at one stage, or are hoping to find one.  Given the chance, I’d have taken them ALL home, every last one of them.  As it was I had to stop and pat them all, and that just made it harder.  Typing this is hard.  I admit it, I’m a sook/soft touch when it comes to animals.

I’ve more calls to make, flyers to produce and post, and the search will continue.

Having his collar again is a memento, but I really just want to know where he is.  I promised myself that if he didn’t live to see Australia again, that I’d return his remains.  I’m not sure I’m going to be able to.

In other happier news, and my apologies that it comes after such sad information…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO PHIL and SCOTT!  Hope you both have a great day!