When Andrea Elwood took in a stray cat in Olpe, Kansas, she never imagined that her search for its owner would take her to Helena, Montana. But, for Sailor, a 13-year-old watered-down calico, that’s exactly what happened.
Elwood said she met Sailor, who she originally referred to as “Miss Kitty,” several months ago after her friend Heather Bailey found the cat in her barn. Concerned about the cat’s well-being, Bailey called Elwood.
“She was in very bad shape when I picked her up,” Elwood said, noting that the cat was very underweight and showed signs of neglect.
But the cat had been declawed and was very friendly. Elwood had a feeling that someone might be missing her.
“It was a challenge trying to figure it out,” he said. “But I knew someone had to miss her. The more we had her, the more I thought this cat had to belong to someone.”
Elwood and his son, Gabriel Wells, worked to discover where Miss Kitty belonged. Elwood said the first vet they visited didn’t have a microchip scanner.
“He had a little cough, so we put him on antibiotics,” Elwood said. “We gave him the vaccines. “We had her for a few weeks and then the longer we had her, I kept thinking this cat had to belong to someone.”
Elwood then took the cat to Emporia Veterinary Hospital, where they were able to find a microchip and Sailor’s name and age. As it turned out, Sailor’s microchip had expired in 2012. That meant Sailor was at least 12 years old, if not older.
“At first I was a little scared because I thought, Oh my God, I don’t know who their owners are. How did she get away from them? Elwood said.
The veterinary hospital provided Elwood with the name of the chip company, so he set to work locating Sailor’s owners.
“I called the chip company the next day and the guy just wasn’t very forthcoming with any information,” he said. “He just said, ‘I don’t have anything, but now I can put your name on the account.’ And I say, well, no, I don’t want to be on the account.”
Elwood was eventually able to obtain the name of the veterinarian who implanted the chip, in Helena, Montana.
“I called the number that was in Montana and when I called I told the lady, ‘Okay, I have a really strange situation,’” he said.
The vet’s office searched the database for a cat named Sailor in their system. One was found deceased. The other was a 13-year-old gray calico, with a Missouri phone number attached.
“Now I was really confused,” Elwood said, laughing. “But the Montana vet said, ‘Okay, I’ll try to call these people.’ And they were the original owners.”
The vet’s office was able to contact Crissy S., the daughter of Sailor’s original owner. Crissy, who asked that we omit her last name, said that a family member had taken Sailor in after her mother’s death and was shocked to receive news of Sailor and her condition when she was found. From what she remembers, Sailor would have been rehoused about seven years ago.
“I was very surprised and very frustrated that this kitten wasn’t where he was supposed to be,” Crissy said. “He had so many emotions, probably all kinds of emotions. It’s happy to hear about her, but, you know, very sad and frustrated to know that she was found in the middle of Kansas in such terrible conditions.”
It didn’t take Crissy long to decide that she wanted to bring Sailor back home. But since Helena, Montana, to Lyon County, Kansas, is almost a 20-hour drive, Crissy and Elwood made plans to meet in Denver, Colorado, over Memorial Day weekend.
“We would love the cat very much and really want her to be happy and safe,” she said. “We wanted to bring her home.”
Crissy said Sailor has been calm and comfortable as she settles into her new and old home.
“It’s been a very emotional rollercoaster, simply because she’s a very special kitten,” she said. “We feel very bad because they rehoused her years ago without us knowing. But she’s been great. We still separated her from our kittens at this point just to get her used to it, but she is doing great, super happy. So sweet. She just loves everyone’s attention.”
Elwood said he will miss Sailor, but is happy to see her live out the rest of her days with her family.
“It’s a little bittersweet,” Elwood said. “You know, we got a little attached.”
Looking ahead, Crissy is also hopeful for Sailor’s future.
“We are excited to welcome him home and give him the love and attention he deserves,” she said. “Sailor has been through a lot, but she is a survivor and we are committed to making sure she has a happy and fulfilling life.”
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