Missing Kitty Shows Up 3000 Miles From Home: A Feline Mystery

Since I am a native New Yorker, mystery stories that take place in or around the "Big Apple" are particularly fascinating to me. Add a feline to the mix, and what could be more appealing to a cat loving, displaced former resident of New York City? I really must take a moment to thank my good friend Lorrie, for taking the time to share this incredible tail... er... tale that I received via email the other day. We all know that animal shelters are severely overloaded with homeless pets longing for adoption into a forever home. So I can only imagine how upset and mystified the staff must have been when workers at the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) discovered that one of their feline residents went missing. According to an article by San Francisco Chronicle, a nearly blind cat named Jack Daniels and his brother, Jim Beam, were taken to the SPCA in May 2009 by Animal Control officers after the furry duo was found roaming the streets. The SPCA veterinarian and Jennifer Scarlett, the interim co-president, suspected that Jim Beam took over the role of a "seeing-eye cat" for his brother, who suffered from scarred corneas. Jim Beam had been watching over him to keep him safe on their journeys. The SPCA hoped that the two cats would be adopted together. But just a week after they were put up for adoption, Jack Daniels went missing. The SPCA staff had no idea who had pilfered the pussycat. Law enforcement, along with SPCA volunteers, got involved in searching for the missing cat - with no luck. Jim Beam was ultimately adopted but without his brother by his side. I am sure that this was a very sad situation for all involved. But by no means is this the end of the story. On August 4th, Jack Daniels, our half-blind missing kitty, showed up roaming around 110th street in New York City, which is in fact close to my old stomping grounds. Animal Control officers "spied a nearly blind, apparently homeless black cat ambling along 110th street." So of course, they brought the kitty to an animal shelter. Miraculously, Jack was sporting a microchip, which revealed that he was a resident of the San Francisco SPCA. The SPCA was contacted immediately. Upon learning of Jack Daniel's amazing reappearance, Jennifer Scarlett was quoted as saying, "That shelter is so busy. To think that someone took the time to track us down ... I'm actually very moved by it. When you think of all the horrible things that happen in the world, it's such a beautiful thing to see so many people come together for a little black cat." And one of those kind folks who truly stepped up to the plate to help this displaced kitty was a Brooklyn book designer named LeeAnn Falciani. Ms. Falciani just "happened" to be on the phone with Dr. Jennifer Gabriele, her veterinarian, at precisely the moment when Dr. Gabriele received an email attempting to locate someone who could return Jack Daniel to San Francisco. Dr. Gabriele shared this information with Ms. Falciani, who soon hopped on a plane - cat in tow. And to demonstrate their support, Jet Blue donated Jack Daniel a free ticket for his flight. Now of course, a full circle happy ending would be if the folks who adopted Jim Beam would come forward and adopt Jack Daniel too. So let's put that intention in the air surrounding the California Bay Area to help make it happen! I just adore happy endings, don't you? Do leave a comment with some good vibrations. Image Source: hugovk