- One cat went missing from their family home for three weeks
- Leia, a cat from the coastal town of Deal in Kent, England, was found meowing
- The kitty had accidentally been trapped under the floorboards at a neighbour’s house
A ‘lost’ cat was found after three weeks under a neighbour’s floorboards.
Little Leia, who is a Persian tabby, went missing from her family home in the coastal town of Deal, in Kent, England, for 23 days. Despite searching for the missing moggie, Leia’s family did not hear anything until a neighbour made a discovery.
Neighbours found the poor ‘lost’ cat meowing underneath their floorboards!
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As a result of a recently laid floor, Leia’s owners suspected the cat had gotten accidentally stuck down there. How did she survive? Well, Leia’s owners speculate she survived by drinking beer from a can on the floor near her.
How did ‘lost’ cat Leia react to her ordeal?
Kelly Cooper, the daughter of Leia’s owner Ben Smith, told BBC Radio Kent that the poor cat was angry with him, but has recently warmed up to him again.
If cats can do anything, it is hold a grudge.
Smith reassured listeners by saying she can “almost see [Leia] putting on weight each day” after being rescued from her ordeal.
Because of her ordeal, she had lost 0.9kg – before she was 3kg (4lb 10oz), and when they located her, she was 2.1kg (6lb 12oz).
As it turns out, Cooper and her 83-year-old father had been working with their “lovely” neighbours to locate Leia. Neighbours contacted them after thinking they heard a cat meowing, according to KentOnline.
How did they find Leia?
To investigate, the family cut a hole in their new floorboards, and there they found Leia.
Cooper said they were “beside themselves” when they found their beloved Leia.
Although they could not confirm if Leia drank the beer can found beside her, Cooper said Leia did seem “dozy” when they saw her.
However, Cooper also said, “She could have also eaten small mammals, like mice, or insects, and quite possibly drank condensation from piping.”
Leia was believed to have wandered into the neighbouring home on 11 April when the new floor was laid at the neighbours’ home.
In order to find her beloved kitty, Cooper hired a pet detective for £1,000. Yes, seriously. She also passed out leaflets around the Kent neighbourhood.
Cooper made a poster with Leia’s face on it and posted an update on Facebook to a local group.
Regarding why it took so long to find the ‘lost’ cat, Cooper speculates neighbours could not hear her meows because of the loud work occurring in the house.
Mr Smith told KentOnline: “I’m euphoric, I’m so pleased to have her back. Leia has been my only in-house companion since my wife died. For her to go suddenly missing was dreadful.”
