"See" You in August!

Since starting this blog I've been updating it daily and now it's time for a change.

Posting daily has been something more emotional than practical that I think will keep up my spirit in looking for PUSS. Knowing that I won't give up in whatever circumstances, I'll then post whenever I feel like it (though regularly) instead of making it an everyday task and a must.

Talk to you again in August!

The Weather Recipe Today

Not a Failure, Not a Success

The day before yesterday I read about this lost female cockatiel ad & that found female cockatiel ad in two web sites. Immediately the matching mechanism kicked in & I quickly informed the lost cockatiel owner by email. Unfortunately this time the matching didn't turn out right.

I didn't take this a set-back since afterwards I saw the owner create more noises in other sites.

Let's keep up the spirit & hope all lost pets & their owners will soon reunite (And PUSS & us too!) .

LIVESTRONG - Band It With A Cause

Despite taming and keeping them as pets, most cat owners believe cats deserve a certain kind of freedom dogs are not used to be given: unleashed, wearing no tags or collars, roaming freely on the streets. And for those owners who have tried putting collars on their cats, claimed that the cats freak out and employ all creative methods to set themselves free from these neck cuffs. So unlike dog owners, when their cats are lost, cat owners will have one less identification means.

Looking at the ubiquitous LIVESTRONG wristband in the city, I'm wondering if they are good enough to replace the normal stretch collars for cats. They are eye-catching, elastic, waterproof, difficult to choke and to chew. Adult size for big cats, kid's size for small cats. Then perhaps use a permanent marker to write down the cat's name and the owner's contact details on the inner side of the band. You're also free to choose from an array of similar bands available from different organizations and charities. More than that, you cat is now speaking for a cause. Not sure if it really works, but it sounds workable to me.

If I were to get PUSS back and with the permission of DD, I'd probably don him with the original LIVESTRONG band 'cause yellow looks fabulous on him. PUSS' shiny black coat goes wonderful with any colours, actually.

THE 5 ANIMALS HE MEETS ON LAYARD

Aimlessly strolling the Layard Road forest, PUSS meets 5 animals telling him how to be "forest smart".

Pooh (holding fast to his honey jar): Let's be friends. Head to the beehive, it's where the delicious & nutritive honey lies.

Piglet: Just follow me and follow Pooh.

Bambi: Stare at the possible enemies & evaluate the dangers, then run away is the best.

Eeyore: I don't actually live here so I don't have any solid advice to give. I'm so sorry, so terribly sorry...v-v- very sorry

Mickey Mouse (Why he's here? Mickey Mouse is not a forest figure!): Say Hi & smile to everybody!

??? PUSS says nothing but opens his eyes wide.

Catch Me If You Can!

Don't ask me how,

Don't ask me where,

Don't ask me when,



Catch me if you can!!!

The Galiano Fire

The wildfire which broke out Sunday afternoon on Galiano Island is said to be contained; though the professional firefighters and volunteers are still battling the now believed human caused blaze. The fire made me think of possible ones on Salt Spring Island where PUSS is now staying.

GO AWAY you dry spell, record high temperature, strong wind, lightning and all other human induced factors, you are never welcome here!

STOP THE KILLINGS IN LEBANON

Estimated Death Toll of People: Over 350
Estimated Death Toll of Animals: Uncounted & unnoticed

Estimated No. of Displaced People: 700,000
Estimated No. of Displaced Animals: Uncounted & unnoticed

Amidst the Heat Wave Are You Okay?

Since last Friday, British Columbia has been taken hold of by a heat wave. With the temperature expected to stay high over 30 degree Celsius in the coming days, I can't help thinking if PUSS is able to make himself comfortable amidst these hot pot days.

PUSS, come into my dream and let me see you are okay.

Tour de Salt Spring Island

While the most famous road bicycle races Le Tour de France and our local BC Superweek are about to wrap up, the unheard of Tour de Salt Spring Island is still in full swing. Although this event doesn't have the profile of the human bike races, it has begun to gain attention when it is found at least one BLACK CAT flies along the high and low roads incessantly on Salt Spring Island.

Sources say the BLACK CAT has been riding on his paws since May 18, 2006, and that more cats, all categorized as "strays" are joining in the run. Many islanders believe the BLACK CAT to be a stray named "PUSS" after seeing the lost pet flyers on many poles and mailboxes. Interestingly, sightings of this BLACK CAT have been reported at different locations at the same time which is beyond human understanding of three dimensional space.

As unbelievable as it is, some islanders have started tracking down the BLACK CAT to try demystify the occurrence. For those who are interested, below is some information about the BLACK CAT on the island.

Name: PUSS
Breed & Colour: Domestic Short Hair, solid BLACK
Age & Sex: 3 year old Male
Colour of Eyes: Yellow or Yellowish Green or Golden or Light Green
Special note: Neutered and with ear tattoo and microchip
Character: Quiet, friendly but may run from strangers
Reported sightings: Swan Point Road, Layard Road, Rainbow Road, Park Road, Kanaka Road, Park Drive, area around Salt Spring Elementary School and Skateboard Park

Some Like It BLACK

Has your cat ever run into any troubles just because of the colour of its fur? I hope not. I'm not really Puss Black's owner and I haven't asked DD so I don't know. I have however heard of how black cats are difficult to find good homes; and how they become potential victims of mischief especially around Halloween.

In a culture that boasts high tech stuff from aerospace technology to daily life's innovations like Skype and Wi-Fi, it's funny to know there are still people who associate black cats with the wrongs of life. Bad luck, epidemic, sickness, death and witchery are all but some superstitions surrounding the black cats. On the other hand, there are some others who believe black cats will bring about good luck, fortune and prosperity.

Superstitions aside, it's comforting to know there are also people who only treasure black cats as loving members of their families. Some like it BLACK, it's so good to know.

Meet PUSS BLACK?

An adorable cat he is, they say. I was quite confused in the beginning because Puss Tabby is definitely a female. Later I realized they're talking about Puss Black & not Puss Tabby.

I came here on June 4. DD my new owner wanted me to be Sniff's new companion (that's how DD calls Sniffy). We get along quite well & Sniff introduced me to his human friends Fridayah & Saturda. Now I've got a new home, a new owner, a new neighbourhood to explore & some new friends but not a new name. DD says he has no inspiration yet. Fridayah & Saturda name me "Sunmie" meaning "new cat", though to me it just sounds like some voodoo language. I'd like myself called "Tux" or "Tuxie" which is cute & matches the splendid coat I wear, what do you think?

Puss Tabby hates me intensely & calls me the dirtiest, ugliest & the worst bugger in the universe. DD finds me okay. Though they like my soft "miaow", Fridayah & Saturda say I'm too naughty & always scared me away whenever they saw me hounding Puss Tabby. It's at such times they would say Puss Black is far much better than me. I must say that they have misunderstood me; I'm just a bit too young & overactive.

If I were given the chance, I'd be more than happy to meet Puss Black the "legendary" cat. I just wonder if he's really better than me. Miaow...Could he be?

HELP, it's in you to give (Puss' Inspiration: Chapter One)

Having placed a no. of lost ads since Puss has disappeared; it has become my daily routine to check all the websites' lost & found listings at least thrice a day. Occasionally I will do some reposting in case some owners don't have the time to check or have just overlooked them. I reckon this a small step to start helping the other "broken hearts" than simply sit back & ask for help.

Yesterday I saw a lost dog ad in Vancouver Kijiji & a found dog ad in Petfinder.com; both speaking of a male border collie near Riverside Drive in North Vancouver. I immediately emailed the lost dog owner about the found dog ad to which I received a thank you reply saying that he/she did really miss Petfinder.com! Based on the close resemblance of the dog's description & the locale, the owner is quite sure that it is his/her dog. Though I haven't heard from the owner again, today both ads in Vancouver Kijiji & Petfinder.com are gone & I believe there has been a happy reunion.

So remember, while Help may sound a grand & complicate project, it can also be as easy & simple as just a few clicks at your hand.

EPILOGUE

COULD THERE BE



NO MORE GAMES?

CLIMAX

It's a BUGGING Game

ANTAGONIST OR PROTAGONIST?

I'm w-w-watching

PROLOGUE

I'm Waiting

There's only ONE DIRECTION...

what we've done all lead to one single mission: bringing PUSS home.

Neigbourhood search

Flyer posting

Contact Animal Shelter & Vet Clinic
Salt Spring Island SPCA
Gulf Islands Veterinary Clinic

Insert Newspapers Ad
"Driftwood" (Salt Spring Island local paper)

Place Internet free Lost Ad
Specially for Animals
brindleweb.com (http://brindleweb.com)
British Columbia Veterinary Medical Association (http://www.bcvma.org)
Canada Strays (http://www.canadastrays.com)
Flealess Market's (http://www.flealess.org)
Hugs for Homeless Animals (http://h4ha.org)
Humane Society of Canada (http://www.humanesociety.com)
Petfinder.com (http://www.petfinder.com)
The Internet Lost and Found Canada (http://pets.lostandfound.com/index.tpl?)

General
Gulf Islands! (http://www.gulfislands-bc.com)
In Victoria! (http://www.victoria-bc.com)
VanAds.com (http://www.vanads.com)
Vancouver Craigslist (http://vancouver.craigslist.org)
Vancouver Island! (http://vancouverisland-bc.com)
Vancouver Kijiji (http://vancouver.kijiji.ca)

(If you've tragically lost your pet in Canada, in particular British Columbia, the above could be a guide to help you conduct your search. Hope you'll never need it.)

What's your score?

If you've been visiting my blog for some time, why not take this short quiz to see how well you know about PUSS? Each correct answer earns you 10 points & can be found at the bottom of this post.

1. What is the fur colour of PUSS?
2. Did PUSS get a tattoo?
3. How old is PUSS?
4. Name two of PUSS' best friends.
5. Has PUSS been a good cat?
6. When did PUSS get lost?
7. Is PUSS a chatty cat?
8. How would you describe the colour of PUSS' eyes?
9. What is the breed of PUSS?
10. Is PUSS a boy or a girl?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers: (1) Black, pure black; (2) Yes, in his ear; (3) Three; (4) Any two from DD his owner, Sniffy, Fridayah or Saturda; (5) Yes, absolutely; (6) May 18, 2006 evening; (7) No, no, no, he hardly says a word; (8) Yellow or yellowish green; (9) Domestic short hair; (10) He's a boy!

Somewhere Out There

Somewhere out there beneath the pale moonlight
Someone's thinking of me and loving me tonight

Somewhere out there someone's saying a prayer
That we'll find one another in that big somewhere out there



And even though I know how very far apart we are
It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star

And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby
It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky

Somewhere out there if love can see us through
Then we'll be together somewhere out there
Out where dreams come true

(Lyrics from the soundtrack for motion picture "An American Tail")
_____________________________________________

PUSS, we miss you tremendously, wish you'll surface soon.

From BLACK to ZIDANE

It wasn't the first time PUSS BLACK had been there on Salt Spring Island. Saying that cats are territorial & rarely voluntarily leave their homes, what exactly could have happened on May 18 evening to account for PUSS' disappearance?

So in World Cup final on July 9, what provoking words had Marco Materazzoi said to ZINEDINE ZIDANE that set the latter off to this head-butting act?

What made PUSS spirited off & what drove ZIDANE to this show of rage?

While the head-butting incident was taped & replayed dozens of times on TV, there wasn't any record of PUSS' disappearing scene.

PUSS couldn't tell & ZIDANE wouldn't say. Could these become forever mysteries?

OUR MILLION DOLLAR KITTY

We bought a Super 7 lottery ticket; the jackpot is estimated to be $10 million Canadian.

Now, if you were given the chance to reap this $10 million, or, guaranteed safe recovery of your neighbour's lost cat which was your good friend, what would you choose?

I discussed it with Saturda; both of us chose to have PUSS back. With $10 million in hand we could possibly launch a well-equipped team for the search, but there's no guaranteed success. Therefore we see no reason in not picking the latter choice.

Unrealistic you may say, that's why we have neither won $10 million nor brought PUSS back.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF SISYPHUS' FATE?

I mean, we're not punished as Sisyphus was. But will looking for PUSS turn out to be a similar never-ending futile thing?

This Week The THANK YOU"s" Go To

ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE HELPED US FIND PUSS! THANKS!

PUSS BLACK The Cat, The WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL Cat

P atient, U pright, S ilent, S trong,

B old, L ively, A gile, C lever, K ind, the cat,

a wonderful, wonderful cat.

48 Days Later

Awakes to some distant echoes of his name, Puss finds himself in the same bed of thicket he calls home these days. It must be some dreams, in which he heard his owner & friends calling out his name. He couldn't see their faces, & their voices slowly faded away in the distance. He loves these dreams, they soothe his tension as the loving stroke of his owner.

He is still tired out from his morning hunt. Catching birds & mice are no longer simple fun games but everyday chores for survival. Every day makes little difference. Alone by himself in this desolate patch with millions of indistinguishable noises, he always has to stay alert to the quietest sounds of predators. He loses some weight these days, enabling him to catch his prey in a swift bounding leap. A good hunter mustn't fall prey to another hunter. Puss knows it too well.

Faint memory he has, of the evening stroll that transformed his ordinary existence. How he wanders the area in search of the way home & how he eventually steps into further wilderness. Perhaps someday his owner will find him, or he will find his owner. Puss has a steadfast will to live, to overcome all fears & to make his way home.

A deer passes by. The summer heat is closing in upon him, Puss decides to have another sleep & dream another dream.

Not far away, echoes of Puss' name are ringing...It is not a dream.

"DROP YOUR NUT!"

Working at the scene of Puss' disappearance, investigators Fridayah & Saturda spotted a squirrel, with a nut in his mouth, crouching in the nearby bushes. When they tried to stop & question him, he swirled up to the tree frantically & stayed there, overlooking them with a suspicious frown. Investigator Fridayah was almost certain he was connected to Puss' disappearance & shouted loudly to him, "Drop your nut & freeze!", the squirrel didn't move a bit.

"You're under arrest." Investigator Fridayah continued to read him the Miranda rights, "You have the right to remain silent. If you give up that right, anything you say can & will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney & to have an attorney present now & during any future questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney..."

Before he could finish, "YOU'RE NUTS." mumbled with the nut in his mouth, the squirrel jumped off the tree, vanished into the woods against the rays of the sun.

LOST IN VACATION

Puss Black & Sniffy were good friends, though they didn't know each other for long. Sniffy was an abandoned cat; dumped with a bag of cat food by his previous owner. DD met him & took him home, that was around mid November 2005 & since then Sniffy has a good home.

Sniffy's eyes were used to blink with distrust & fears but these were blown away with the winter chills & spring breezes. With Puss Black as his big brother, days had never been merrier. I watched them chased, groomed each other & played the mischievous boy's game of provoking Puss Tabby.

Having lost his best friend on the island, I can see the deep melancholy in Sniffy's clear blue eyes. If Puss was never to be found, I'm sure he can get over it someday. But up to this moment, I know for sure he is sharing with us the same kind of heart-rending pain.

A part of him, was lost in vacation on Salt Spring Island, on the 18 of May.

How about a rear/side view of PUSS?

PUSS BLACK (back right) : still wandering somewhere on Salt Spring Island, last seen on Rainbow Road/Layard Road/Swan Point Road.

3 year old neutered black boy with ear tattoo & microchip. Yellowish green eyes. Can be skittish & wary of strangers.

PUSS TABBY (front left): still waiting for PUSS BLACK to return home.

WHERE HAVE ALL THE COLLARS GONE?

Puss wasn't wearing a collar when he was missing. We say cats don't like collars & will get them off by all means. While we hear about some other BLACK CATS appearing in the area PUSS was lost, I keep on thinking how wonderful if their owners could put collars on them then we could easily identify PUSS being the only one left without a collar; if there are no feral black cats around.

But how would a owner make his or her cat unhappy just to help you find your lost cat?

(Please always refer to my first post of June 19 for details of PUSS disappearance)

FIND PUSS RELAY...

DD's sister is on Salt Spring Island, the search carries on...Happy Canada Day!