Town cat brought together the community
Vicki realised that her cat was missing when he didn’t return home after he escaped her house on boxing day 2016. Taking to social media the town came together and searched for the missing cat until its safe return home 10 days after it went missing.
Vicki Hodgson, a resident from Spennymoor, realised on Boxing day last year her cat went missing after he managed to get out of the family home and didn’t return after more than a couple of hours.
The cat, Scooter, is an indoor cat and therefore didn’t know the area of where Vicki lives. She realised something was wrong when she couldn’t find him anywhere.
Vicki decided to take to Facebook and shared Scooters photo across her friend’s timeline, asking for any sighting of him. Her friends and family where sharing the image of Scooter on their timelines in hope that their friends might have seen him.
Scooter, Vicki’s cat. Numerous of friends, family and strangers shared the post, showing a real sense of community.
‘I felt an enormous sense of town spirit’
Vicki said ‘I felt an enormous sense of town spirit.’ After getting no clear sightings or any definite locations, Vicki decided to share the image again and offer a £100 reward. Vicki works in the local Aldi store and as a personal trainer in the leisure centre, therefore asking her work mates and clients was something that she did to spread awareness.
‘Everyone was really out looking for him. I felt a huge sense of support. I had phone calls, numerous of inboxes on Facebook and text messages. People where asking me at work about scooter and stopping me in the street.’
There were sightings of the cat in Middlestone Moor, which is at the other end of the town to where Vicki currently lives in Hazelmere. Vicki was contacting the local shelters and members of the town who are known for taking in stray cats to see if they have seen Scooter.
‘I’m absolutely ecstatic to have my little ginger back’
After ten days, away from home, Scooter was reunited with Vicki. Vicki said, ‘I’m absolutely ecstatic to have my little ginger back, it’s a huge sense of relief. There’s so many mixed emotions.’
‘He really is part of my family.’ Vicki said while holding Scooter. When asked how he is doing now that he is back Vicki said, ‘He is absolutely fine now, back to his mischievous, naughty, loving crazy ways.’
‘I want to say a massive thank you’
Vicki is now reunited with Scooter and is more cautious than ever to keep the doors closed so there could never be a reoccurrence of it. ‘To everyone that looked in their garden sheds and to everyone who called his name while out on a walk with their dogs, I want to say a massive thank you from the bottom of my heart.’
‘I sound like a crazy cat lady but he really is a part of the family.’ Vicki is now happy with Scooter safely back in her home and she is able to get on with her normal life once again, with Scooter by her side.
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