For this family from Auckland, New Zealand, the Easter weekend was supposed to be fun, but turned into a nightmare after the disappearance of their cat. However, they found her a few days later.
Luchs, a Bengali, accompanied her relatives aboard a catamaran on a trip to Hauraki Bay near Kawau Island.
“Usually Luchs are very active at night, jumping all over the boat,” says owner Julie Rowe. But that night everything was peaceful. In the morning we found that she was gone.”
The cat’s family thought she drowned. The whole day she searched for his body, but found nothing. The weather worsened and Julie Rowe had to make the painful decision to leave without the Lux.
She posted messages on a Facebook page for residents of Kawau Island asking them to let her know if the animal was spotted. “I was sure she was lost and I knew my insistence was a bit irrational, but I felt guilty because she was only one year old and the kids missed her,” teacher Bengal says.
Julie Rowe was also not relieved when she learned that some locals were killing cats for fear of their impact on the fauna of their island. She promised a reward of NZ$1,500 (just over €900) to anyone who could help her find Luchs, as well as a donation of another $1,500 to the Department of Conservation.
After 10 days, she was contacted by the inhabitants of Kawau and reported that they had seen a cat that looked like Luchs. Julie Rowe returned to him, but after several hours of walking she realized that this was not her feline.
Exhausted and demoralized, she was about to leave the island when she heard a familiar meow, followed by a scream. It was Luchs… “She ran to me,” says Julie Rowe. It was unrealistic. I called my husband, family and colleagues to tell them that I had found her. I was so happy.»
Julie believe that Luchs fell into the water while mooring the catamaran, and that she managed to swim to the island.
The cat lost some weight and rushed to the food that the owner gave her. However, she was safe and sound. After returning home, Luchs became much calmer at night, preferring to sleep next to his people rather than running around.
