Searching For Cliff

Cliff as a kitten

Just as I was thinking of talking about Cliff, the latest addition to our family, he went missing since last Saturday *sad*.

Cliff on a tree

We don’t know whether he got lost in one of his rambling in the neighborhood or the nearby woods... or something bad happened to him (which I fervently hope not!). All we know is that he went out for his usual morning walk and he hasn’t come home since then.

Kitty Cliff in our garden

He is very regular with his comings and goings --- would go out and come home at the same time several times a day. He never fails to respond and run home every time we call his name, wherever he is. When he’s out and we’re in the garden, he would show up and stay with us. He takes his nap with me everyday and would spend all day at home when there's a thunderstorm (he's afraid of thunder and lightning). That’s why we were so worried when he didn’t come home for his usual nap last Saturday.

And we have been searching for him since then. We asked our neighbors, distributed leaflets with his picture, feline identification code and our contact number in the neighborhood mailboxes, the vet clinic, the city hall. We also contacted the nearest animal shelter, the feline registry and local police in case someone found our cat.

Cliff's first snow

And we keep calling his name several times a day so he can find his way home if he got disoriented and afraid due to the thunderstorms the first two days he has been gone (the rain might have washed the scent marks he made). But until now, he's still missing *sniff*.

Cliff's first Christmas

He’s a very gentle, innocent-looking cat. He’s about 14 months old and has been with us since he was still a wee kitten being nursed by his mother (she and her litter of three were in our garden until the kittens are weaned). One of his brothers (Jack) died, the other (Junior) went missing (we never found him after he disappeared) before we get to adopt them. And now, Cliff, the last of the litter, is missing (but I do hope we won't lose him permanently).

I really pray that we either find Cliff or he finds his way back to us. There is a void at home now that he's gone. He likes following us inside the house and in our garden, loves brushing against our legs, never in a bothersome manner. He enjoys being cuddled and fussed about but he wouldn't press for attention when he sees us busy. He would just quietly lie down near our feet, enough to be close but sufficiently far so as not get in our way. So we really feel his absence.

Felix and Cliff

It’s very depressing not to have him around. We fondly call him “stuff toy” because he has a very soft thick fur, we never heard him hissed nor seen him "moody" and he would always purr whenever we caress him. He’s really sweet like his brother, Felix. It may sound silly to some but it’s really, really sad to lose him. We love our cats very much.

the brothers in our garden

Even Felix is so dispirited since his brother has been gone --- he’s not as perky and cheerful as before. He visits and sniffs Cliff's favorite "spots" inside the house and in the garden, trying to "see" if his brother has been there and would stay for sometime by our gate or by the window, looking like he's waiting to see Cliff run towards home (just like us). When he goes out, he would come home covered in spider web, dust or leaf debris because he would look in our neighbors' barns and sheds for his brother (they have the same mother).

The two cats really got along well hence, Felix misses his brother, playmate and companion... as much as we do.

Cliff, taken last month

I hope we find Cliff soon. I hope he finds his way home if he was lost. I hope he didn't get sick and was afraid during the two days it rained after he disappeared from home. And most importantly, I hope he’s not hurt, suffering and alone in a place strange to him. We all miss him.

We wouldn't stop looking for him. We'll keep calling out his name so he can find his way back to us. Please, please... I ask the heavens above... let our baby come home to us.