Black again - a celebration!

Maybe some of you will remember reading about Panther on Monday Aug. 3, 2009? You'll have to scroll down a ways from the link.

Back in August 2009, Panther was adopted into a new home. The next morning he escaped out a window.

Despite posting fliers for blocks in the area, getting fliers to animal control agencies, searches by Pet Haven volunteers and others and even more extended ones by his fosters we could not find Panther.

At that time he was estimated to be about 7+ years old. He had been livetrapped and turned into a wonderful, loving fellow. He had lived on the streets for a long time.

Despite knowing that, it was very hard to have him disappear. His foster home continued to drive the area for many months afterwards, once stopping to pick up a dead black cat from the street, taking it to be scanned to see if the microchip would read Panther's number. It did not - was the chip lost? Another dead end.

On Monday January 17, 2011 a call was placed from Eagan animal control with a black cat found - the microchip number left. A Pet Haven volunteer looked in the database and found the number - imagine - it was Panther!

The foster home was called just before 10 p.m. and there were tears! Rejoicing!

Panther has been to the vet, he was covered with fleas, was retested, got his vaccinations and waited a day to have a broken canine tooth removed. He'll be going back to his foster home tomorrow. Home again - I'm betting it will be to stay.

Microchip - you cannot assume that a cat or dog who gets outside is dead within a day or a week or a month. Panther, now almost 10 years old, is proof positive.

A kind person had been feeding Panther for about 3 weeks and she was the one who got him to animal control.

Most of you readers have stray cats in your neighborhood - watch out for them, provide them with a plastic covered box for shelter with a roof and a small door, straw to burrow in or blankets you change often. Dry food and water - help them out, you may never know how the owner is worrying.