Missing Cat: missing since Feb., her dad's been searching for her, please contact me!

I didn't lose her on a night hike, and I have never taken her on trails without her tether. I said that about her 'getting lost on a night hike' because I've been scared to death of cops ever since I was a teenager, and I had been camping illegally when she went missing. No, I don't drink or do drugs, and I'm not lazy or crazy, nor am I an 'irresponsible cat owner'. Before becoming homeless, 'normal' for me had been juggling multiple jobs, getting up well before sunrise, and taking every shift I could get. I got downsized, my savings got wiped out, and I found myself living in a tent out of necessity, as many folks have. It can happen to anyone.

I had let her out to pee and thought she was fussing at me to come out and play with her (she plays and travels just as a dog might, and normally I'd be up for it, but this night I was wiped out from a long shift in a restaurant job I'd just started that morning) and I only urged her, "Stay close! Don't go far!"

I've raised her from a kitten to be a travelling cat, she's been voice-trained since she was a couple months old; we adore one another and she always, always listens. When I say "Stay close!", she always does. And when I whistle her song, or sing it, she always comes running. She never strays and she always stays close to me, or to camp, and is always there to greet me happily, but the next morning she wasn't there; in five years, this had never happened.

I was freaked out but I had to go to work, there was snow everywhere and it was cold as hell. I searched and searched the woods for months, frantic to find her and afraid she might die in the snow, or be eaten; I made hundreds of flyers, knocked on doors, registered with shelters and animal clinics; found cat tracks, kept searching and searching. Several people have told me they've seen her.

Her name's Freya, she's named for the goddess of spring, rebirth and love; she has a heart-shaped white blaze on her back, on her right side, she's compact and muscular, super-athletic and bouncy, very friendly and sweet (and very fierce if annoyed), with a 'bunny butt', soft stripes and five rings (plus two fainter rings) at the tip of her little tail, which is a bit short, and faintly white-tipped. She's red like a redhead, with white stockings and a 'Viking mask'. She's the smartest, sweetest, funniest, most clever, playful and beautiful cat. I raised her from a tiny kitten and we've done a lot of traveling together; she turned six this summer. She's microchipped, licensed and has had all her shots, though she's slightly overdue for boosters. I can be reached at (503) 810-9136. Please call if you've seen her.

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