Contributing writer
By Marise Caetano
Miau brought his Persian cat friend along for dinner one day. (Photo courtesy of Marise Caetano)
A big, gorgeous ginger cat appeared on the wall surrounding my house. He came one afternoon, quite shy, and my husband took his picture and sent it to me at work. When I arrived home, he was already gone. I thought he probably was someone’s cat, exploring a new neighborhood.
He played us for a week. He would appear and disappear in the late afternoon, eat the food I left for him, and then vanish. My husband and I were leaving for a few days for Buenos Aires, so I instructed our housekeeper to feed the cat.
The day I came back, I learned he had showed up every day and had been spotted at an empty house a few yards from my home. I went there but couldn’t find him.
When I got back to my house, I saw two cats under my car parked outside the gate. One was the ginger cat, and the other was a gray Persian. The little scoundrel was bringing company for dinner.
They both came in and ate together.
The Persian cat who became Miau's friend.
The Persian cat puzzled me. I live in the mountains in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where most of the cats are Brazilian shorthairs. I knew only one neighbor who had Persian cats. I asked her if her cats were allowed outside. They weren’t. I described the cat I had seen, and she said it looked like her Juliette, who had disappeared eight years ago.
I canvassed the area to no avail, looking for the ginger cat’s owner. I had fallen in love with him, and the way he came into my kitchen and scrubbed his neck against my legs. I decided to keep him.
Next day, I managed to caress the gray cat and took her picture. I really wanted her to be Juliette, since I didn’t want to adopt another cat but thought it almost impossible. After eight years…
I sent my neighbor the picture, and she confirmed it was Juliette. I was a little skeptic. But when she emailed me a picture she had taken before the cat disappeared, I had no doubts. The next day I captured Juliette and took her back to her home.
Juliette as a kitten.
We’ll never know what happened. Our houses are located on a mountain, quite far from one another and surrounded by preserved rain forest areas. Someone could have taken Juliette and later become tired of her or moved away, leaving her behind. But what baffled me was how she found her way back.
As for the ginger cat, he had an infected, broken tooth extracted and was neutered. We named him Miau. Now he lives happily with my other four cats and Agatha, my all-breeds dog. (That’s what my husband says when someone asks her breed.)
It is trrue, Marcia! We will never know how Juliette lived these 8 years!
Strassen Hund is a very good one! I shall adopt it! ;-))
Marise, I would have been tempted to take both in!! They are both gorgeous cats.
:-)
Marise you story still amazes me…. It is a miracle what happened. Only God knows what happened to Juliette during those 8 years….. Anyway she is now happy, with hers sisters and brothers and her mommy. As for Miau he certainly won in the lottery. He could not have chosen a better place to live… You have a very beautiful family with my god daughter Agatha as leader of the team…. I loved the all breed definition,,,,,
I have a friend who when asked about the breed of Zequinha, his dog, answers that Zequinha is a Strassen Hund, a very famous German breed…..
Marcia, you're right. At least she didn't get seriously hurt or
anything like that. People can be mean to cats on the streets. Lucky
them!
I love that story!!
Another cat for Marizoo!!
:-)
Ana Clara, I just hope that they do not spread the word around my house. At this moment, the zoo is closed. We have a huge amount of cats, dogs, birds and nests full of eggs! ;-))
If I were a cat, I would certainly show up at your place, Marise!!!!
:-P
What a wonderful story. They're both gorgeous kitties!
Glad you liked it, Ingrid. I was so happy Juliette got reunited to her family and that Miau got his share of love, too.
Ingrid, actually Juliette was reunited with her two "kids"! When she disappeared eight years ago, she had just had a litter. Now the three are living together!
My beautiful Miau also got a family to call his own now!
that's one of the most amazing cat stories ever! loved it.
What a super great story! and Juliette es divina!
This story gives me hope about seeing my little furry friend Nemo again :D I adopt him when he was a little kitten, the gardener found him on a tree, he he, He started living with me and my boyfriend and my other 3 cats: Pepper, Chancho and Chispa, he was a great little guy! I love him like crazy. He just disappear one day : ( I posted adds with his pictures every where…but nothing.
But you and a lot of other people that i have read their stories about finding their furry friends after long times, gives me the hope to see that little guy again some day. I think he's just exploring and having fun!
Love you Nemo
Oh, helen,
I can imagine how much you miss your Nemo! I will pray for him, so he comes back home.
:-)
Very nice ; )
Thanks!