Tiki has been missing for five days and is somewhere nearby, certainly terrified, maybe hurt or worse. The women who caught Tug and Tiki as strays, had them neutered, and gave them to me came to visit on Saturday and Tiki went berserk, scratching and biting me to get away. (He is the most timid cat I've ever had-- he spent two weeks under the couch when I got the boys-- and nobody ever comes to the apartment.) He hopped into the window, pulled the sliding window aside trying to get away, accidentally popped out the screen, and jumped down 15 feet into my landlord's walled, jungly yard and disappeared. He showed up crying under my window that night but I had no key to the gate and by the time I got over the brick wall (via a stool and the hood of a parked van) he had gone.
The landlord gave me a key and every day I've tried to get a nap and then I've sat out very late, calling softly. I've set a humane trap; caught a feral guy (who may have hurt Tiki or driven him off) one day, otherwise nothing. I've put out food and water; it's gone mostly untouched, though on two occasions somebody or something has eaten some. I' ve been following the advice of the cat ladies, who've been relaying the advice of the "cat detective" in Seoul, whose profession is finding lost cats. On his advice, I've refrained from printing up reward posters because they say that would only make people look for him and terrify him further.
Nobody involved speaks any English except Hyeonjong, one of the cat ladies, who lives across the city from me.
Now the cat detective is coming here to look for Tiki. I'm hoping for a miracle.
This is a horrible, horrible country for stray cats. A lot of Koreans despise cats. I've never seen an outside cat here that wasn't scrawny, injured, and/or terrified of people. I got Tug and Tiki in the first place not for the companionship, but as a humanitarian act. But of course they became my family. Now it's not a million poor anonymous animals living short, miserable lives; it's my boy, if a miracle doesn't happen soon.
And I'm moving to Seoul in 16 days.
4 comments:
What a nightmare for you. I hope the cat detective can help you and Tiki to a happy ending. How is Tug bearing up?
With best wishes, Gill
Tiki's under the house! As I was going back to set the trap at dusk last night (Thursday), Tug was meowing from the window above and Tiki was meowing from the basement!
I couldn't get him... I sat for 2 1/2 hours on cement, leaning on cement; he wouldn't come. I set the trap and overnight he ate the little bit of food near the front of the trap but wouldn't go to the back for the big glob of food. But he's there and apparently healthy!
Oh thank goodness, it really upset me yesterday thinking of him being lost in the city and you worrying over him. Good luck with the coaxing - with some patience I think he will come out eventually - but you may think of taking a cushion when you go out there again!
Best wishes, Gill
Hello Stephen - I'm wondering, is Tiki home safe and sound now?
Best wishes
Gill
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