Gemini My Psychic Cat ~ My Cat Calls to Me Across the Miles

This is the story of how Gemini, our telepathic cat, spent one summer vacation. Every cat lover knows that cats are the most amazing animals. They can be lovable and cuddly or independent and aloof. They can get into hair-raising predicaments and somehow get themselves out of them, too. They are survivors. Some might say that cats are psychic. I’m sure that my cat Gemini is telepathic.

The year we traveled to Alaska on our first RV adventure, Gemini was only 4 years old. He was a strapping young Oriental Shorthair cat (a cross between Siamese cat and an American Shorthair cat) with many of the characteristics of his Siamese heritage. He liked to talk, and his vocabulary ranged from pathetic, hungry meows to angry, demanding yowls. His longshoreman vocabulary could (and did) scare off more than one German Sheppard. When he was being especially lovable to me, he would purr and chirr softly. This cat could certainly communicate well!

Because our Alaska itinerary would take us in and out of Canada several times, and RVing was a brand-new adventure for us, we decided to leave Gemini with our son and his family for the summer. It was a perfect place for a cat, out in the country, well away from the busy road, and seemed like a good plan.

At the beginning of June, we said our goodbyes to kids and cats, and took off on our adventure. Little did we know that Gemini would have his own adventures that summer.

We went merrily on our way, knowing that our much-loved cat would be in good hands. For the first week, we called often to check in with the kids and see how our cat was doing. As we drove farther into Canada and then Alaska, our cell phones signals became erratic, so we didn’t talk for a couple of weeks. About this time, I started dreaming about Gemini almost every night. One night I was sure I heard him crying. Another night, I thought I felt him come up on the bed and curl up next to me as was his habit, but when I groggily put my hand out to pet him, he wasn’t there. Sometimes in a half-waking state, I would hear him purr on my pillow. Although I've never been a big believer in messages coming to us in our dreams, I was sure that my cat was missing me and calling to me. Of course, my husband thought I was just missing him and our busy days kept me from thinking much about my dreams.

 Finally, after almost two weeks, we were able to call our son from a phone booth in Skagway.  It was then that he broke the news that Gemini was lost, and had been gone for almost two weeks.  He was really upset and had been going door-to-door looking for the cat.  Since I had several digital pictures stored on my laptop, I printed them out and and mailed them so that he could make posters to put up in local businesses and put in mailboxes.  The summer went on, and I continued to dream about Gemini calling for me, lost and abandoned, but he was never found.  I was heartbroken.

In August, we returned home to New York to a house that felt extra empty without my furry friend to welcome me back.  I still dreamed of Gemini calling pitifully for me, and believed that he had survived the summer and was out there somewhere.  In one more last ditch effort, I printed off more flyers with his picture and offered a reward.  We posted then again in the post office, gas station, drug store, library and anywhere else we could think of in our son’s town.  Then we went around again and put flyers in every mailbox within about 5 miles of where the cat was lost.   

Here is some good advice on how to find a lost cat.

• First, check all the normal hiding places like under the porch and in all the nooks and crannies. Look in the garage, outbuildings, in cars, basements and closets. Cats are curious and will not hesitate to investigate a new place that has been closed off to them in the past.
• Put food outside your door. Some people advise putting a baby monitor outside near the door in case the cat comes back overnight and meows outside the door.
• Try a "Scent Beacon." Put the cat's favorite afghan or bedding outside near your door. The scent may help him find his way home.
• Call and visit local animal shelters to be sure that your cat wasn't brought in. Leave your name and number and picture of the cat.
• Check with neighbors. Ask neighbors to check their barns, garage and outbuildings to make sure the cat wasn't accidentally locked inside.
• Make photo flyers with his picture and description on them to leave at peoples houses. Be sure to include your first name and phone number and general area of where the pet was lost. Offering a reward is an added incentive.
• Post picture flyers at any local business that has a bulletin board. Make tear-off strips at the bottom with your name and number so that people can take contact information home with them.
• Put an ad in your local paper and shopper.
• Call local veterinarians to see if anyone brought in an injured or sick stray cat.
• List in local internet "LOST and FOUND" websites.
• Keep looking. If you don't find your cat right away, try a new campaign in a couple of weeks. Be persistent because sometimes it takes a long time to find that lost cat again.

It was mid-September when I finally got a call from a lady who lived about 3 miles from our son. She just noticed the flyer that had been buried in a pile of papers on her counter, and said there was a wild cat living in her barn that looked just like Gemini’s picture on the flyer. I told her that our son would be there in a couple of hours and she said, “Be sure he wears gloves, because the cat is vicious and won’t let anyone get near him.”

Well, Brian went to her house and opened the barn door, and sure enough, there was Gemini, very thin, but none the worse for the wear. Brian said, “Here Gemini…” and the cat immediately recognized him and came to him purring loudly.

We drove over as soon as we heard, and it was a lovely reunion to hold my much-loved cat again. He purred loudly and rubbed against my face, telling me that he had missed me, too, but he never did tell me how he managed to survive for four long months on his own.

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Footnote: The experience of losing our cat was traumatic for me as well as Gemini. After that experience, we decided that he would travel with us, and he adapted beautifully to life in the motorhome. He became an RVing cat, traveling with us around the country when we lived in our RV full time.

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Copyright ©2010 Stephanie Henkel