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T J Turns up in Sewer!!
TJ's Tale As Told By His Happy Human... Dear Sandy and everyone at the Pet FBI (especially Mary Jane), Thank you for all of your wonderful help! I spent the last 36 hours running myself ragged, all the time feeling as if I wasn't doing enough, and only sleeping for ten to thirty minutes at a time. I found TJ (my Sweet T) tonight. It doesn't sound like all my leg work paid off that much, but it did, because it kept me focused on the task at hand, but kept me open to the possibility that TJ might have gone off in any direction, and that's what helped in the end. I am enclosing a copy of the email that I sent out to a couple of good friends so you can read about how we ended up being reunited. Not only did your assistance give me focus and hope, but by following your suggestions, I met a number of wonderful neighbors, and my faith in humanity was given a much needed boost. Our touching little story follows: Dear ____, Thank you sooooo much for the good thoughts. It worked! I slept about 2 1/2 hours between 3:30 and 10:00 AM (I fell asleep just when I was planning to go out and look for Teege) and spent the whole day distributing flyers, combing all the surrounding neighborhoods on foot, and calling all the animal rescue facilities and local veterinarians. I became quite hopeful when the mail man told me he had seen TJ in the complex yesterday, and then became devastated when I talked to a girl (12 or 13) in the neighborhood across the street, and found out that she had witnessed a terrible cat fight that she thought TJ was involved in, and that the cat that was strange to her (probably T), had huddled under a car and then vanished later. I just kept thinking that if things were really traumatic for him, he might keep running farther away instead of coming home. Jim had to leave for his gig tonight, and I stayed home to keep my vigil. Thank God I did, because after a couple of hours of pacing from door to door and calling for TJ, I went out to the edge of the road in front of our apartment and waited for a lull in the traffic. Then I began calling for him pretty loudly (especially since it was 10:00PM!). I heard a spine chilling caterwaulling, and tried to trace its origin. It seemed to be coming from almost right next to me...then I realized he was trapped in the sewer! He had been on the other side of the street, but had apparently huddled down in the sewer tunnel to keep warm. When he heard me calling to him, the sound probably traveled through the pipes better than it did through the air, so he came to me through the sewer. I called 911 and they said they were sending a fire truck to help me lift the grate to get him out (I also called my sister to keep her abreast of the situation). In the meantime, a few concerned neighbors had gathered (maybe because I yelled, "Help me! Someone please help me!" over and over again until no one could get any peace and quiet), and I had grabbed my bath towel (so he would smell a familiar smell) and a can of cat food. A big, strong angel stopped and moved the sewer grate, and I tried to get a hold of him (TJ, not the man!). It was so wonderful! He sniffed the food, and then looked up at me and stretched up the side of the pipe so I could get a good grip on him! He was more interested in me than in the food! I am so flattered! Except for that major deviation in character, he appears to be just fine. A little sore, and a little freaked, maybe, but none the worse for wear. I, on the other hand, will probably take about two weeks to recover from such a rough 36 hours! We'll take him to a vet tomorrow or Monday and have him checked out, but first we'll be getting collars for both of our SBs (spoiled brats). Even though Buddy would probably rather have his nails clipped than go outside, he'll be getting outfitted, too. I think I'll have chips implanted, too. Thanks, again. Love, Susan (& Jim and Mike by proxy) P.S. The fire truck never did make it in time, so I called 911 back to cancel it! I told them we had blown the fire out ourselves! |