Los Angeles, CA Lost Female Cat, Farro Is Missing

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Stray N.

2 months ago

**UPDATE:** Someone reported seeing a friendly cat on PawBoost on June 28. **Farro had been missing for over a month.** **It was unquestionably her. 100% our girl.** We were beside ourselves with joy. She was over a mile from where she'd disappeared—through winding canyons, coyote habitat, and across a major roadway. Somehow, this tiny cat had survived the impossible. For over a month, we searched everywhere we could think to look. All that time, she was alive. She had survived. We later learned she'd apparently been in that neighborhood for nearly two weeks—sleeping in one neighbor's backyard, sunning herself on another's diving wall, sitting beneath a car waiting for a kind hand or a treat, and faithfully appearing every evening around 6 p.m. to greet the neighbors. She was friendly. She wanted to be with people. She was trying to find safety. For nearly two weeks, she was there. People saw her. They recognized she wasn't feral. They even discussed her in the block's WhatsApp chat. But no one had posted her on PawBoost, Nextdoor, Facebook, Ring, or any of the lost pet sites where families and rescuers actually search. No one stopped to ask, *"Does this cat belong to someone?"* No one reached out to a rescue. It wasn't until a fellow rescuer happened to be walking her dog that someone finally recognized something wasn't right and posted her on PawBoost. The moment we got the PawBoost notification, we rushed to the scene. One volunteer arrived within the hour, followed shortly by our director. They searched the neighborhood from late morning into the afternoon, calling her name, scouring bushes and yards, talking to neighbors, and planning for the 6 p.m. window everyone assured us Farro appeared like clockwork every evening. By mid-afternoon, only our director remained on scene. The other volunteer had stepped away, but more volunteers were already on their way. The neighbors assured us they were keeping an eye out and that Farro always appeared around 6 p.m., so it seemed reasonable to believe they would let us know the moment she appeared. Around 3:40 p.m., after nearly five hours of searching, our director drove to a nearby store to use the restroom and grab a coffee. Less than 40 minutes later, she got a text. There had been what appeared to be an attack in the exact place she was usually seen. Farro's fur was everywhere, along with evidence of a devastating struggle. We cannot say with certainty what ultimately happened. We continue to hope with everything we have that she somehow escaped. But with each passing day, that hope becomes harder to hold onto. One neighbor later told us they had watched a coyote stalking her for **two days.** **Two days.** Knowing a friendly house cat was being hunted, no one brought her inside. No one called Animal Control. No one contacted a rescue. No one posted her publicly. We'll never understand that. The cruel irony is that despite everything Farro had been through, she never stopped trusting people. Rescued as bottle babies and raised with love by our director, Farro and her sister, Lupine, had already lost their first home when their adopter was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer and had to leave the country for treatment. After that, the adopter's children stopped caring for them until a concerned neighbor reached back out to us for help. She lost her second home when international travel restrictions made it impossible for her longtime foster family to bring her with them. Then we thought she was finally safe. Until we learned she wasn't. When Farro disappeared from her foster home—just one month after arriving—we weren't told for nearly two weeks. During our search, we discovered she had gone missing once before, shortly after arriving, and we had never been informed of that either. The family had also allowed both sisters outside. Our foster agreement clearly prohibits allowing cats outside because tragedies like this are exactly what we work so hard to prevent. When Farro disappeared, Lupine remained safely inside while Farro was left alone to fend for herself. Farro and Lupine each lost the other. The foster family wanted to adopt Lupine, but they never cared for Farro the same way. The husband even told us she *"wasn't right in the head."* And yet Farro was the one walking up to strangers. She greeted neighbors. She trusted people. She kept believing someone would help. She was eventually found more than a mile from where she had disappeared—near her previous foster home, still searching for safety and believing someone would come for her. She deserved so much better than this. She deserved people who would notice. She deserved people who would act. She deserved to make it home. We are still praying that somehow the evidence we found wasn't hers—that another animal was involved and Farro got away. Until we know otherwise, we will continue to hope. If there is one thing we ask everyone to take away from Farro's story, it's this: **If you see a friendly cat outside that seems out of place, please don't assume someone else will help. Post them everywhere. PawBoost. Nextdoor. Facebook. Ring. Lost pet groups. Contact local rescues. Scan them. And if you can safely bring them inside while you search for their family, please do.** Those few minutes of effort can mean the difference between a reunion and a tragedy. Farro spent over a month trying to make her way home... ...and nearly two weeks asking people to notice her. **We only wish someone had.**

Rebecca W.

2 months ago

Boost ❤️ 🙏

Mary J.

2 months ago

Shared ❤️

Vicki J.

2 months ago

Hoping for safe, fast return. Mwaaah!

Ruth O.

2 months ago

Lost Cats‼️ Indoor only cats and limited outdoor access cats never go far. They go into survival mode and hide in silence. Most of them will not respond when they are in survival mode. 3 AM is the best time to find a missing indoor only cat. This is the time they become most active and responsive. Sit and quietly call for your kitty. Try to stay low, standing is intimidating to cats. Place some dirty socks and pillow cases outside. Your scent will attract your kitty. If you have a garage, place the items near the garage door and crack the door enough for her to get in. DO NOT leave food or litter box outside, it can attract predators and aggressive Tom cats. Because indoor only cats hide so well they are not as likely to be killed by a predator. Don't give up, it can take months to find a missing indoor only cat. Use a flashlight as late at night as you can to look in trees, under cars and in bushes. Try to look for the glow of her eyes. The best chance of you being reunited with your cat is to do a methodical search of the area. Most indoor only cats will be within 160 feet of your home. Survival mode lasts 5 to 14 days but can last longer. Once their hunger gets to a maximum they can snap out of it but this is a dangerous time because they come out of hiding. The majority of cats will try to make a break for home on the 5th night. In addition to posted flyers, make mini flyers and hand them out to your neighbors. Some people don't pay attention to posted flyers. It's VERY VERY important that you look for her as late at night as you can. If you have other cats, watch them. If they are spending a lot of time looking out a certain window, that’s a good indication the missing cat is in that area. Wildlife and motion activated cameras are also helpful. a lot of people are successful trapping their indoor only cats. If you decide to trap, you must watch the trap closely, predators can a cat in a trap.

Natalie K.

2 months ago

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Farro is Missing in Los Angeles, CA

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Farro is Missing in Los Angeles, CA

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